Redeeming Stars
by LaaDee
Summary: "Mitchie, Nate; meet your new roommate..." Mitchie should have known something like this was going to happen when she returned to Camp Rock as an instructor. Multi-views.
1. Mitchie Arrives

DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING THAT IS ALREADY UNDER COPYRIGHT LAWS! APPLIES TO ALL CHAPTERS!

**Chapter 1**: Mitchie Arrives

A small cloud of dust lifted up into the air as my packed duffle bag hit the ground. I breathed in deeply as I took in the familiar sights of the docks and cabins. I smiled as fond memories assaulted my mind's eye.

"Mitchie Torres!" called out the familiar voice of the camp director and friend, Brown Cessario. I grinned warmly as he tackled me in a bear hug.

"Thanks for letting me come back!" I exclaimed. I backed away from him and looked back around my surroundings, "Nothing around here has changed a bit… including you."

"Hey!" he said in mock affront, "lots of things have changed, haven't you noticed the cabins roofs? New shingles! And this right here, I'm growing a goatee."

"Oh I'm sorry, your right, the shingles are fabulous," I answered, Brown smiled and gave a brief bark of laugher at my sarcasm.

"But seriously, thanks for teaching the voice lessons this year, we'd be lost without you," said Brown as he patted my back.

"It's going to be nice not having a curfew, I can finally take that midnight canoe trip I've always wanted too," I grinned in reply. Brown laughed again, before picking up my heavy duffle bag. With a teasing bow and hunched back from the weight of my duffle he pointed me in the direction of the instructor's cabins. My grin only widened, Brown never changed.

The camp director and I went way back, all the way until the time that I was a camper at Camp Rock myself. It also helped that I had dated his nephew for a few months back when I was 16. So I ran into Brown for every major holiday while I was still dating Shane; including Birthdays, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.

"Alright, here we are, your own personal cabin, complete with buck and… well you get a door," said Brown as he looked around the sparse settings that would be my room for the next 2 months. I pursed my lips as I looked at the bare walls, and pine needle covered ground. My eyes assessed the bed frame that looked like a company of mice had come in to have a dinner party and my bed had been the main course.

"Looks like this place needs a lot of sprucing up," I said as I glanced at the only redeeming point of the room, the mattress.

"Yeah, it's actually the only free personal cabin left this year," said Brown.

"Why?" I questioned.

"This year we have a record number of campers and so we've needed to hire more counselors and instructors to watch all the campers," explained Brown. I nodded my understanding and searched around the cabin, until my eyes caught on to something strange up above.

"Is that a birds nest in that corner," I asked as I looked up to the rafters and pointed to the offending decoration. Brown looked up and sent a regretful sideways glance towards me.

"No, no, Mitchie, stop being ridiculous," answered Brown. I gave him an incredulous look as we witnessed small bird heads look over the edge and began to chirp hungrily for food.

"Right," I answered sarcastically, with a roll of my eyes. I looked towards the walls and saw an army of ants descending into my room, with a fleet of flies buzzing steadily above us.

"Yeah, so anyway, this cabin wasn't been used in a year or so, so it's a little… run down," explained Brown while he dropped my duffle on the bed. With a horrific _crrk_ the bed frame splintered and fell to pieces. The two of us jumped back, horrified as we watched the bed collapse on to the ground in a suffocating cloud of dust. Once the bed had fully collapsed and the dust settled Brown quickly seized my duffle from the ruins and turned toward me again a faint pink dusting his cheeks as he looked to me.

"So… now what?" I inquired as I raised an eyebrow. Brown draped the blue bag over his shoulder and walked toward the door with me trailing behind him.

"Looks like you get a roomie!" he said too enthusiastically for my tastes. I allowed my confusion and worry to show on my face for only a few moments and luckily Brown didn't notice. The truth was that even after 10 years I was a little on the shy side, and despite years of counter conditioning, I was weary of people on the first meeting.

"Who?" I asked in trepidation.

"You'll see," said Brown as he turned around, wiggling his eyebrows to make me laugh, before continuing on the path to some of the nearby surrounding cabins.

We traveled in silence while I tried to calm my anxiety by taking in the familiar sights of the lake and surrounding evergreen forest. Before long we arrived at a duplex cabin, and Brown approached one side of the cabin without knocking on the screen door he walked right in. I had to run to keep up with him and hastily sidestep the closing screen door before it hit me in the face. I turned to see Brown gingerly rest my duffle on the ground in the middle of two beds.

"You can stay here, I'll even give you first choice of beds. Choose quickly, I think that your roomie will be back any moment," persuaded Brown as he gave a nervous look over my shoulder towards the door. I looked around and noticed that beside one of the beds my roomie had already set up their things on the nightstand as well as made their bed.

"But my roomie is already all set up," I said, Brown nodded a devilish look on his face.

"The least I can do is give you the option of beds, I'm sure that he won't mind," Brown said with a shrug. My eyebrow rose, as my synapses processed what Brown let slip.

"_He_?" I interrogated.

"Oh come on Mitchie, you aren't teenagers anymore, I'm sure that you two can restrain yourselves by now," Brown said with a roll of his eyes, I laughed lightly at the look on his hopeful and unsure face.

"I'll just make sure to keep a bucket of cold water next to my bed, just in case, I am a great catch after all," I teased, eliciting a laugh from Brown as he spread out his arms in a question I fully understood. I shook my head as I approached Brown to confiscate the duffle resting at his feet and retired it to the unoccupied bed. I gently put it on the bed, slightly afraid that this bed would unravel too. From the way that Brown flinched away from the bed when my duffle's full weight rested on it, showed that he and I were imagining the same thing.

"Mitchie, your being no fun, I'm sure that…" Brown broke off. The squeaking of the screen door drew both of our attention to the man standing in the doorway. If I hadn't been so surprised at his appearance I would have laughed right away at the confusion and shock on his face.

"Brown? What's going on?" asked the dark haired man. I finally could no longer restrain the hilarity of the situation and broke out in laughter. Brown's nervous shuffling filled the room and the curly dark hair of my roomie only shook his head as a small smile graced his lips.

"Well, Mitchie, Nate, meet your new roommate," Brown said as a genuine smile light up his face.


	2. Nate's Reunion

**A/N: I feel the need to explain the point of views for this story. It changes with each chapter, and you'll know which character's view your seeing by the chapter's name, though most of the story will center around Nate's and Mitchie's POV there will be some random ones. I hope that's not too confusing =D.**

* * *

**Chapter 2**: Nate's reunion

As I looked at the girl I hadn't seen in 8 years, I could only shift awkwardly. The only reason that I even recognized this girl was because she had been Shane's first serious relationship, but even then her face had been skewed into obscurity.

"Roommates?" I finally asked, "You do realize that she's a girl, right?"

Mitchie only snickered as Brown gave me a serious, disapproving look. I frowned as I watched the two's interaction with one another, they stood awfully close to one another, and the teasing looks they shared was rather suspect.

"I think I know that she's a girl, and I know what I'm doing," deadpanned Brown, an edge to his tone insinuating he was exasperated from repeating the same argument, probably with Mitchie.

"Don't worry Nate, I'll make sure to keep my hands to myself," Mitchie said a bright smile on her face. It made some of my worries about sharing a room with Shane's ex melt away but not the apprehension.

"Good, now I can rest easy knowing that you won't try getting fresh with me," I joked. Mitchie's laugh rang throughout the room, and I had to fight a small smile from sneaking its way back to my lips.

"Well Nate, I guess I should explain the situation to you," said Brown, a well hidden embarrassed tone in his words. I turned serious as I focused my full attention on Brown.

"Go on," I prompted, wondering how this set up came to be, despite the fact that Brown had assured me just this morning the room was previously unoccupied by anyone but myself.

"Right," started Brown as he coughed to clear his throat, "You see Mitchie's cabin is… a little…" He continued to stall, and Mitchie immediately caught on to his sly tactics and cut him off.

"Brown here gave me a dysfunctional cabin," interrupted Mitchie as she sent a critical look towards Brown, "complete with a collapsing bed and not-so-decorative bird nests."

"Well, yeah, that about sums it up," swiftly agreed Brown. I only gave a look to Brown informing him that he was forgetting a detail, "oh, right why here right? Well, you see, it's really quite simple, this cabin is the only one left with a free bed."

I nodded as I absorbed the new information. I looked back at Mitchie and upon seeing her distressed expression, gave her a welcoming smile.

"Well then Mitchie, welcome to my domain," I said as I swept my arms outward goofily. This earned me a giggle, and I felt a small tingle of accomplishment.

"It's _our _domain now," corrected Mitchie, I only nodded my agreement.

"Well then I suppose I can leave you two here, Mitchie make sure to get unpacked, dinner starts in a half an hour, I'm leaving right now to go pick it up," Brown said as he walked leisurely towards the door.

"Alright Brown, I'll talk to you later," said Mitchie. I simply waved him off, and walked to my side of the room. Originally I had come back to the cabin in order to get my guitar and go to the benches by the dock, hoping to waste some time before the dull instructor meetings after dinner. The meeting was a simple explanatory meeting on the rules and the camps itinerary for the next two months before the campers arrived tomorrow afternoon.

But instead I simply stretched out on my bed with arms folded under my head, suddenly feeling drained. Through half-lidded eyes I watched Mitchie take items out of her blue duffle. I took in her looks and noted that despite a new hair cut and taller stature the girl was basically the same girl that had dated Shane so many years ago.

Suddenly as though a cold glass of water was poured down my back, I remembered. Shane was just on the other side of the duplex, rooming with Jason. Despite the fact that the two had broke up on semi-amiable terms years ago I wasn't too sure on their reactions upon their reunion at dinner. I looked over at Mitchie again and hoped that she was ready to be astounded.

"So Nate," suddenly said Mitchie. My closed eyes flew open at the disturbance of my thoughts, and I sat back on my elbows to get a better look at her.

"Yeah?" I asked, wondering what she was going to say.

"Why are you here? I thought that you and the others would be on a tour this summer, like usual," asked Mitchie. I shrugged.

"Typically we are, but then Brown called Shane up a few months ago frantic to find some instructors for dance and musical instruments. Brown was also lucky enough to talk Shane into agreeing before we made any plans for the summer, and so here we are," I said. But cursed my loose lips as I looked over at her, I had been hoping to keep the fact that all three of us were here away from her for a while, or at least until she discovered it on her own. But she surprised me by smiling gently at me.

"We? As in all three of you?" Mitchie asked, but then processed to clarify her point of interest, "but you only mentioned two instructing jobs." I shrugged but answered her question anyway.

"Brown is planning on having Jason and I team teach musical instrument instruction, and Shane is returning as dance instructor," I explained not going too far into details.

"Well, welcome back to Camp Rock," she greeted. I nodded in gratitude despite my confusion at her lack of a reaction.

"So what are _you _doing here?" I asked. I was sure that by now this girl would be making big money with a major record company. If there was one thing that I remembered about this girl it was that she had an amazing voice.

"Brown coerced me," she said with a shrug, "but I don't mind, I love being back at Camp Rock, it's just like old times."

"Yeah I suppose so," I agreed, not knowing what else to say. After saying this Mitchie returned to sorting out her things and I returned to laying down in bed hoping to get in a half-hour cat nap. While silently my mind continually assessed the conversation we just had, like a broken record catching the snags in the spiral grooves. The girl had tactfully ignored my mention of Shane, and had artfully dodged the question as to why she was here. I internally nodded in approval, I always loved a good puzzle and the new secretive Mitchie was turning out to be just that.

"What are you smiling at?" asked Mitchie out of the blue. I opened my eyes to see her staring at me from across the room; a curious smirk pulled the corners of her lips. I made sure to wipe the smile off my face and turn a blank look in her direction.

"What smile?" I inquired, I figured she would just drop it, but to my regret she stopped what she was doing and made her way over to my bed. She gave me a teasing glare before she reached out to pull my cheeks back, forcing my mouth into a smile.

"Ah the fabled Nate smile. You know I heard that the press is paying the paparazzi big cash to get one of these on film," she said, and I froze, hoping she didn't have a camera, she seemed to read my mind effortlessly because she added, "it's too bad that Tyler still has my camera."

"Who's Tyler?" I asked truly intrigued.

"He's my roommate's boyfriend, and he's thinking about becoming a world renowned photographer… with my camera," answered Mitchie with a roll of her eyes. She stood up but not before pinching my cheek and she walked away leaving me with a stinging pain.

"Owe, why'd you have to pinch so hard?" I whinnied, already planning retribution on her for my sore face.

"That's how you get the color to come back, you looked deathly pale," she joked, and I couldn't help the pout that covered my face.

"Har Har," I said sarcastically. Mitchie only laughed at me, before she reached for the tennis shoes stored underneath her bed, leaving a small mess on her bed. I raised an eyebrow as I just now noticed that she was only wearing flip flops, I wonder how she got that past the all seeing eyes of Brown.

"See ya around Nate," said Mitchie as she walked toward the door.

"Where are you going?" I asked as I sat up on my elbows again to watch her progression across the small room.

"I thought I'd go see if the kitchen needs any help," she answered simply. I nodded my understanding, and I looked dully around the neatly organized room, everything was in its place except for her messy bed, which I really couldn't do anything about.

"Didn't Brown just say he was going to pick it up?" I asked, wondering if she was really just trying to get rid of me or if she had just misunderstood Brown's declaration to them both.

"He did, but I know the chefs and they will insist on making something healthy and homemade to go with the take out," admitted Mitchie as she continued to walk towards the door. I nodded at the new information, recalling that Mitchie's mom had been the caterer to Camp Rock not too long ago.

"Here I'll walk you to the kitchens," I offered as I stood up and quickly slipped on my shoes so that I could escort her to the cafeteria.

"You don't have too, I thought that you were taking a nap?" she asked as she looked ashamed towards me, I was touched by the concern and suspicious about her reasoning, "I figured that you'd have better success at sleeping if I wasn't making so much noise." Mitchie turned a culpable look over at me, a small well of guilt building inside me. How could one look in her doe brown eyes and find an ill will?

"It's fine, really don't worry about it Mitchie, I can take a nap after the meetings later," I said as I bypassed her still form and walked over to hold the door open for her. She groaned at my mention of the instructor's meetings.

"Do you think that I can… _persuade_ Brown into letting me skip the meetings?" she asked with a pleading undertone. I silently wished that Brown would let her skip too, mostly so I could keep her and Shane separate for as long as possible, despite the fact that they'd see each other at dinner.

"I don't think so," I answered as I lead the way to the wood chipped trail leading to the main lodgings of the camp. I heard her sigh and I chuckled in response. Mitchie and I continued to walk in silence all the way to the cafeteria. Once we got the doors that lead to the cafeteria, Mitchie reached out and tried to pry open the door, only to have it not budge an inch. Mitchie stopped yanking on the door and turned on her heel before walking towards the side doors that lead directly into the kitchen.

I raised an eyebrow (one that I was sure that was going to be frozen high on my face by the end of camp) and followed her to the side door.

"This door is usually unlocked," explained Mitchie as we approached the side door. My longer legs allowed me to pull ahead of her and pull open the door before she could.

"Oh look it is," I said as I held the door open for her. Mitchie shrugged before entering under my out stretched arm and went into the kitchen. Since I had nothing better to do because Shane and Jason had disappeared sometime ago, I decided to follow her example and help in the kitchen.

"Look Chet, hon, its Missy," said an older woman with snow white hair, watery green eyes, and a sunny smile. I smirked at Mitchie, and mouthed '_Missy?_' Mitchie ignored me.

"Hey Gloria, Hello Chet," greeted Mitchie as she waved at the older reed thin man with white blond hair and striking blue eyes, "how's the family?"

"Last I heard they were all doing just fine, though little Sara was just getting over a mild cold," explained Gloria. Mitchie nodded as she approached the counter where Chet and Gloria were chopping vegetables. I made sure that I was only a few steps behind her.

"I'm glad that Sara's doing better than, getting sick is never fun when your 4 years old and have so much to do," Mitchie conceded as Gloria's laugh rang throughout the room, I had to admit that the older woman had a nice laugh, like that of a babbling brook.

"Missy, who's your friend?" asked Chet, the older man. Taking this as my cue I stepped forward to offer my hand to him.

"Nate Greene," I answered once his larger hand enveloped my own. Chet gave a strong shake that belied his thin arms.

"Chet Young, and this is my wife Gloria," said Chet as he wrapped his free arm around her shoulders an adoring look in his eyes.

"It's nice to meet you," I answered politely. Gloria took a double take as she turned back to look me in the face.

"Have I met you somewhere?" she asked. I knew that by tomorrow she'd hear that I was a part of a famous band; I still answered her in the negative.

"Do you guys need my help with anything in here?" asked Mitchie, as she watched Gloria and Chet's choreographed cutting vegetables.

"No dear, we're just about done in here," said Gloria as she and Chet dumped their vegetables into their respected bowl. The two also continued to drizzle the same amount of salad dressing into the bowl's and tossed the salad with scary exactness.

"Well it would be appreciated if Nate and Miss went and dropped these salads down on the serving tables, so we can clean up our things before the pizzas arrive," propositioned Chet. Mitchie smiled and quickly agreed to help, and I followed her example.

We only had to wait a moment more before the 4 salads were done, and the two of us each took two bowls out into the dining area. After dropping the bowls on a separate table the two of us retired to the large chain of connected picnic tables where some pitchers of lemonade awaited. Mitchie smacked her lips as she sat down in front of the lemonade pitcher and quickly poured herself a glass. I sat down next to her and also filled a glass for myself.

"Gloria always makes the best lemonade," admitted Mitchie taking a long gulp and then again smacked her lips savoring the taste. I took a small sip of my own and my eyes widened, it was _really_ good.

"I thought that your mom catered Camp Rock," I said as I took another savory sip of my lemonade.

"She use too, but her business fell flat as her only serious customer was Brown, but for the past 6 years she's been an event coordinator for a small bed and breakfast close to home, and she loves it," explained Mitchie, I gave a small sound of understanding. Mitchie finished her glass of lemonade and quickly grabbed the pitcher to pour herself another, but just as she was starting to pour her drink the side door in the kitchen banged open, making us both jump, and poor Mitchie managed to pour the whole container of lemonade on herself. I was lucky enough to be out of range of her lemonade shower.

"Ahh! This is so cold!" exclaimed Mitchie as she shot out of her seat and away from the puddle of lemonade she had been sitting in previously, "and extremely sticky." She said as she tried to pull her drenched t-shirt off of her chest.

"Here you'd better go get changed before dinner starts, wouldn't want you to suffer through dinner covered in lemonade," I teased as I lightly tugged on the bottom of her soaked shirt. Mitchie only grimaced at her shirt and nodded.

"But wait, what about this mess?" she asked, pointing to the floor and table covered in lemonade.

"I'll clean this up while you clean yourself off," I offered, she gave me a grateful smile as she said her thanks and jogged out the door, after she made sure that she had unlocked it. Once Mitchie was out of view I walked into the kitchen intending to locate a mop and sponge.

"Nate! Nate! There you are!" shouted a voice from under the curly head of one of my best friends and band mates.

"Hey Jace, Hey Shane," I greeted with a small wave in their general direction, but I than paused and turned to look at them, "why are you guys in here?"

"Uncle Brown needed our help getting the pizza," explained Shane with a shrug.

"Why are you in here?" asked Brown from his spot beside Shane and Jason at the small out of the way table that was littered with 14 pizza boxes.

"Oh yeah, Gloria," I began turning to look at the chef and her husband who were both teaming up on the towering dishes, making sure to ignore Shane and Jason, "where do you keep your mops, there was a bit of an accident."

"Oh no what happened?" asked Gloria worried, "no one was hurt were they?"

"Nate, someone's hurt and you're just standing around wanting to clean the floor?" asked Jason a cross between confused and serious flashing on his face.

"Oh no, just some lemonade was spilt," I explained and the look on Gloria's face turned from worry to amusement and Jason's face lost its seriousness but gained some more confusion.

"What happened to Missy?" asked Chet from his place beside his wife; he gave me a look that was more than a little intimidating. Brown also looked up as he seemed to tune into the conversation, again the odd closeness of Mitchie and Brown reasserted itself in the puzzle before me. I couldn't understand why or how the two had remained so close after Mitchie's last year of Camp Rock and had broken up with Shane.

"She had to go change her clothes, the lemonade sort of spilt all over her," I explained embarrassed for her. Chet let out a bark of laughter, all intimidation cleared, and Gloria turned her head back to her dishes to hide her smile.

"The poor dear, she always gets so excited about my lemonade," sighed Gloria, and I grinned at her misunderstanding, but I didn't correct her even if the truth was less embarrassing.

"It's in that closet over there," Chet said pointing over towards the corner. I successfully located the cleaning instrument and returned to the cafeteria to mop up Mitchie's mess. As I walked in I was already assaulted by the sounds of the other instructors that had arrived for dinner. I lowered my eyes, making sure not to make eye contact with anyone else and returned to the place Mitchie had spilt the lemonade.

As the sticky lemonade was gradually washed out of the wooden floor, Jason and Shane joined the instructors bearing pizza as though it was a sacrifice to the Gods. The instructors roared in approval, and I continued to wash away the mess. Once I was sure the lemonade washed away from the table and floor, I joined my band mates and fellow counselors.

Before too long the 13 pizzas that Brown ordered had been devoured and I was lost in the merriment and amusement that was my friends. I didn't notice until later that Mitchie had never returned to the cafeteria, and had missed out on dinner. Her inevitable reunion with Shane Grey avoided.


	3. Michtie Needs a Song

**Chapter 3:** Mitchie needs a song

I shuddered slightly in my drenched shirt as the evening chilled wind battered against my body. As I walked towards my cabin, I kept my eyes fixed on the sunset. The sun's rays stretched its red fingers throughout the cloudy darkening sky. Rock Lake reflected the scene above it; in fact it was so exact that I didn't even notice my legs slowing down to a crawl to observe the view.

Before long a strong, blood freezing wind convinced my legs to speed up, and I found myself in front of my cabin in no time. I studied the room I had just entered and noted the contrasting sides, Nate's side clean and organized, and mine a messy mass. I was still shocked that Brown had decided to put me in the same cabin as one of my ex boyfriend's best friends. If it had been Jason I wouldn't be complaining, he was as nice a guy as they got. But with Nate there was always something unfathomable about him and I hated the unknown.

With a new found determination I walked over to my messy bed, just the way I liked it. I walked over to my duffle bag, which was still resting half-unpacked on the mattress. I quickly retrieved a new shirt. I was about to change when I finally acknowledged just how sticky the lemonade was, it had soaked through my lime colored tee shirt and dried onto my skin. Realizing how uncomfortable it all was, I grabbed my pajama pants and toiletries, and made my way to the closest shower. It shouldn't take too long to clean myself up.

* * *

I severely underestimated how long I would be in the shower. I must have forgotten how good it felt to have the steaming hot water rinse away the grim of camp, and I was lost to my contention. By the time I was out of the shower and dressed a half an hour had passed. Dinner would probably be all gone by the time I reached the cafeteria, eaten by those vultures. I was severely tempted to just return to my cabin and catch an early night but I knew that I had to make my appearance soon, or Brown would think that I was planning on ditching his instructor lecture. I rolled my eyes at my own imaginings because I knew Brown well enough to know exactly what he would do.

I made my way to the cafeteria after I dropped off my toiletries and dirty clothes. I spotted the main door to the cafeteria and paused, when the side door to the kitchen caught my attention. A plan already formulating in my head as I headed to the kitchen, sometimes it paid to have connections in the kitchen.

When I walked in Gloria and Chet were cuddling eating at the small table in the kitchen. In front of them sat a half eaten pizza, my mouth watered and my stomach growled.

"Miss is that you?" asked kind and gentle Chet. They were one of the only people that I allowed to call me 'Miss' and that was only because they were practically my grandparents. I answered him with a polite salutation as I joined them at the table.

"Why are you in here hun?" asked Gloria. I felt my face heat up and I contemplated trying to dodge the question or answer it truthfully.

"Well I dropped a pitcher of lemonade on myself, and so I had to go change clothes, but then the sunset distracted me," I began truthfully, "and by the time that I had gotten back to the cabin I was all sticky so I decided to take a shower to clean up a bit."

"That explains the PJs," warmly stated Chet with a chuckle. I nodded, as I looked down at my rubber ducky knee high pajama pants. Chet quietly handed me a paper plate, and gestured to the pizza, inviting me to eat the rest. I happily complied and grabbed myself two slices of the garden variety pizza hurriedly.

"I've always loved the sunsets over Rock Lake, myself," sighed out Gloria dreamily. Chet gave her a look that told her he agreed.

"In the city I don't see nearly enough sunsets," I admitted forlornly. We conversed lightly, in the same pattern we had established years ago as I continued to eat my pizza slices.

I had met them around the same time that my mom's business had gone under, and Brown had commissioned my Mom's help to find her replacements. It didn't take a lot of pushing to get my Mom to agree to help; she was already feeling guilty about leaving a long time customer and close family friend high and dry for the summer.

The result was 25 unqualified applicants and no one else to look into. My mom was so desperate that she even enlisted my help, despite the fact that at the time I was going to college, had a full time job, and was living 3 hours away from home and consequently 5 and a half from Camp Rock. But in the end when I finally agreed to come home for the weekend to help her go cater hunting we ran into Gloria and Chet in a diner only a few miles away from Camp Rock.

The two were an elderly retired couple that went to the diner every Sunday for a nice lunch. We had been seated at the booth across from their table and they over heard our conversation. It turned out that the two had once been chefs at the very restaurant we found ourselves at, and bored enough to agree to check out the camp to see if they would like the job.

So after lunch, mom and I escorted the two to the camp. Through an inquiring conversation we discovered the two only lived a mile from the camp, hiding right underneath my mom's and Brown's nose. As soon as Gloria and Chet had seen the camp they quickly agreed to help out, and Brown was so grateful that he offered the two a huge bonus. The couple had shared a look and refused to take the bonus.

"We don't need the money," Chet had said.

"We weren't even planning on being paid, it'll be nice to get out of the house every now and again, that's payment enough," Gloria had admitted.

That sealed the deal, Brown had a pair of top of the line chef's and my mom was relieved that she wasn't leaving Camp Rock hungry. Of course if Gloria or Chet ever needed help they would just call up my mom and me, which created a bond so strong that the two would send my mom, dad and I a card for our birthdays and presents at Christmas. It was also to the point where Mom and I could recite all of their 23 grandchildren's names, birthdays and favorite fish.

We were just talking about the pros and cons of growing your own garden when Brown stormed in and spotted me.

"There you are!" shouted Brown angrily as he stormed toward us.

"Here I am," I agreed with faked enthusiasm. Brown frowned as he came to a stop in front of our table.

"Are you trying to skip out on our meeting!" asked Brown harshly in a huff.

"Now Now, Brown, calm down," said Chet, ever the mediator. Brown took a few deep breaths before addressing us, this time softer and calmer.

"The instructor meeting is beginning, and even though I know you hate large groups Mitch, it's your obligation as Camp Rock's Voice Instructor to come to this meeting, in which we will discuss the camps rules, which you will have to reinforce and..." Brown began to lecture calmly.

"Sorry Brown," I said downtrodden.

"It really isn't Missy's fault that she's late," intervened Gloria, "she missed dinner so she was eating some of the leftovers in here."

"I suppose that we distracted her a bit with our talks about starting a garden," added Chet.

"Hey you two don't need to defend me, it's my fault that I'll lost track of time so much tonight," I said, embarrassed that the two had to make excuses for me. Brown seemed to lighten up as he looked down at my half eaten slice of pizza, the anger gone and only slight guilt remained in his eyes.

"Well everyone has already gathered in the lodge meeting room, so join us when you're finished eating, I'm sure that someone will fill you in on what you missed," bargained Brown as he knocked on our table before he walked out the same door where he had come in from.

"Well, Miss, it's best not to dally, finish off that slice and head on out," agreed Chet as he stood up from his chair and helped Gloria out of hers.

"While you finish eating we had best right 'en up the café," explained Gloria as she and Chet walked to the door hand in hand. I sighed but nodded to their turned backs. One day I hoped to have a marriage just like Chet's and Gloria's or even like my mom and dad's.

I slowly chewed the remaining bits of my last slice of pizza, and made my way to the meeting room. I silently sneaked into the room, and was relieved when no one spotted my entrance, except for Brown how only gave a slight upturn of his lips in greeting. I looked around the room at the back of the heads of all the instructors when I spotted familiar curly hair. I thanked whoever was out there that he was close to the back of the room, and near me, and not a soul sat around him. I slinked my way over to him and sat down heavily beside him, with a sigh that caught his attention. I was looking down so I couldn't see his reaction to my sudden appearance beside him.

"Nice, I don't think that Brown saw you," whispered the masculine voice of the man beside me, a man that was not my roommate. I started mutely in fright as I looked beside me to see not Nate, but his band mate Jason. I breathed deeply while holding onto my rapidly beating heart.

"I thought that you were someone else," I said guiltily, a sheepish look on my face. Jason looked upset though he tried to hide it.

"Oh," he said disappointed, "who you looking for Mitch? Maybe I can see them."

I smiled at his helpfulness, but shook my head.

"No it's alright, I like sitting next to you better," I said as I lightly nudged him, "besides I didn't know that you were here yet."

"I didn't know you were even teaching this year," breathed Jason, as he bent down to talk into my ear, "did you miss dinner?"

"Yeah," I whispered with a smile, "I was startled and spilled Gloria's World Renowned Lemonade down my front, so I had to clean up."

"Ah, that's why Nate came in looking for a mop," acknowledged Jason, his eye brows screwing together in thought, "were you looking for Nate then? How come he didn't tell us that you were here?"

"I don't know Jace," I murmured back to him, and then looked around the room, "where is Nate and I'm guessing Shane too?"

"Brown sent them to look for Nate's cabin mate about 20 minutes ago, I think they're stalling so they don't have to sit through Brown's lecture," answered Jason softly. I nodded in understanding and with a shared look with Jason we turned our attention back to the lecture.

"…Also this year Camp Rock is having its 2nd annual Teacher Jam," Brown was saying, with a horrified expression I tuned my full attention to Brown, "for you new instructors, let me elaborate, a few years ago I received complaints from campers that they believed their teacher couldn't actually do the things they were telling the campers to do, so last year I started the Teacher Jam, which allows teachers to showcase their talent before the campers, it was highly successful and I think this year it will be as well."

I was slightly mortified; I had not known of this performance, if I did I would have been able to prepare for this. But as it was I had nothing even remotely finished. I must have been making a funny face because Jason nudged me and gave me a look, which I shooed away. I made sure to try to keep my face neutral as I tuned out the rest of Brown's lecture to focus on my new dilemma.

The problem wasn't that I didn't have any new songs finished exactly; it was that the songs I finished I had sold the rights to in order to make a few extra bucks for some bills. Most of these songs had gone on to become famous, sung by some such important artist (roll of eyes inserted). It not like I wasn't proud of the fact, it was just that once the company got a hold of them they changed it so much, it wasn't my song anymore. I suppose that I could just perform another's song, but something inside me revolted at the very idea, even if I was the original writer of the song.

"You alright?" muttered Jason as he finally seemed fed up with the faces I was making and the silence between us.

"I'm fine," I began; I saw his incredulous look and added, "Brown just didn't mention anything about us doing a jam."

"Don't worry, you're an awesome stage performer," whispered Jason, guessing wrongly about my point of concern.

"That's not the problem," I grumbled low enough for only him to hear, but Brown got wise on our conversation.

"Well, Miss, Jason, is there something you'd like to tell the class?" asked Brown, and I sunk down in my seat as the others in the room turned to look at us. My mortified eyes were hidden by my bangs as I tried to ignore the looks we were receiving and focused on making a plan for revenge against Brown. Jason, I saw from the corner of my eye, just waved at all those that turned to look at us.

"No way Brown, you're doing a great job without our help," shouted Jason, alleviating the room of its tension. I loved that about Jason, he could lighten even a dying man's mood. He'd be the perfect guy to bring home to parents, I wouldn't mind introducing him to mine either.

"Anyway, as I was saying!-" exclaimed Brown before he was rudely interrupted by the entrance of two thirds of Connect 3 plus two. "There's no winning tonight!"

I rolled my eyes at Brown, and refused to turn around to see what the commotion was all about behind me. The only reason I knew that Nate and Shane had appeared was Jason's exclamation at their entrance and the murmuring of the crowd.

"Hey Guys! Over here! Come sit by us!" hollered Jason as he valiantly waved at his friends trying to get their attention. With cold dread I realized maybe it wasn't the best idea to sit next to my ex's best friend… I sunk as low in my seat as I could all the while wishing I had a hat to cover my face, and a trench coat to cover my duckies.

"Once you four are settled, we can continue this meeting," yelled Brown over the noise. He shot me a pained look, which I returned with my own. Once Brown looked away, I continued my quest to blend into the background.

"Hey," came the hushed voice of Nate, as he plopped himself on the other side of me. I ignored him as I turned my attention to the fuming Brown; he was always hilarious when he fumed. "Mitch-"

"Nate, shh, just watch the fun unfold," I finally allowed despite the fact that I was nearly kneeling on the ground and in no position to watch the entertainment myself, I hoped I could distract him for a moment at least.

"Oh, I am," agreed Nate. I looked up at him, only to witness him staring at me instead of up at Brown.

"You're looking the wrong way," I pouted. I was just glad that Jason was distracting the others, and Nate had successfully blocked Shane from sitting beside me.

"No, I don't think so," whispered Nate as he leaned to murmur in my ear. My pout intensified and I sat up straighter, accidentally knocking my head into his nose. I winched from the pain and rubbed the spot where our heads collided, at least that would teach him to take his ticklish breath away from my ear!

"Can we _please_ return to this meeting now?" inquired the flustered Brown. I silently cursed Brown for perfecting his anger management, and depriving me of the entertainment that would allow all the focus on us be transferred to him.

"Maybe next time you should give a warning before you start butting heads," whispered Nate, leaning over to where my ear had relocated, a strange look flashing behind his eyes.

"All's fair in war," I said obstinately, satisfied as I watched him discreetly rub his injured nose.

"Are you guys hurt?" asked a perplexed Jason observing us as we rubbed our sore heads. Shane and their two guests (who I hadn't seen because I was too determined to keep my eyes focused up front) were staring at me in what I was sure was a mystified expression.

"No, I'm fine, but thank-you for asking Jason," I answered sending him a grateful side smile, my eyes still focused up front. My gaze locked on the only thing that I could see of Brown through and over the crowd's heads.

"I think we should pay attention, Uncle Brown is developing a tick," muttered Shane to our small group. I ignored him even as I heard the others murmur their agreement. Nate was apparently the only one to disapprove of this decree and leaned over to my ear again, I visibly tensed.

"One more thing," breathed Nate, "nice ducks."

I restrained my impulsive shiver from his breathe tickling my ear. As I heard him straighten up, I could feel my tense muscles loosen up, I hated an enigma, and that was what Nate Greene was.

As soon as the meeting was adjourned I shot up from my spot between famous band members, and with a thunderous look bypassed Nate and into the aisle to hunt down the unsuspecting Brown. Ever since hearing about the Teacher's Jam I was letting my anger boil. I heard Nate struggle to scramble out of my way as I passed by him and smirked; it was the least he deserved for whatever that ear crap was.

"Brown!" I called out as I saw him starting to leave through the little used back door. He froze in place, as though sensing my anger.

"Yes, Love?" asked Brown, with an endearing tone, not that it would stop my war path. I glared at him hard, hoping that if I tried hard enough I could set him on fire.

"Why didn't you warn me?" I cried out. My face scrunching up in what I suspect was hurt.

"Well, actually I was hoping that Nate would have spilled the beans for me," he answered while sending a disapproving look at where I suspect Nate and the others stood.

"I don't think it was Nate's idea," I answered harshly. Brown raised an arm to pat my back, but quickly retracted it when I glared at him.

"Well, no, it wasn't, but you can't hurt a man from trying," admitted Brown, I sighed.

"You still could have warned me about the jam," I said disapprovingly. Brown's face became clouded in confusion, which I didn't understand.

"The Jam?" he asked, "I thought we were talking about Connect 3."

Now it was my turn to look confused, I turned to see the three band mates watching our interaction with varying looks. One was amused, the other confused, and the last curious.

"Why would we be talking about Connect 3? I mean, I saw Nate earlier, it'd be kind of weird if you invited your nephew's best friends and not your nephew," I said amused. Brown shrugged helplessly as way of an answer.

"Now, what's wrong with the Jam?" asked Brown, successfully changing the subject. I latched on to the change of topic like barb wire to cloth.

"I don't have anything prepared!" I admitted softly, so only Brown could hear. Brown gave off a bark of laughter and slapped my back.

"Good one Miss-" I gave him a death glare, "Mitchie, you not having a song ready."

I gave him a look to show that I wasn't joking.

"You were just telling me last month that you finally finished that one song! You were so excited about it too," said Brown, a serious look on his face. I mumbled something under my breath which Brown seemed to understand. He glanced over at Connect 3 and made a shooing motion with his hands. They must have understood, because they filed out of the room rather quickly, if the slamming door was any indication.

"Why would you do that? You can't start a career in music if you keep…" angrily started Brown. I gave him a look, and he instantly shut up. Brown ran a tanned hand through his hair, a hopeless look on his face. "You must have one that you can finish then."

"Well-" I began, thinking through all the songs I had started and couldn't seem to finish.

"Ah so there is one!" exclaimed Brown, an excited look on his face, "Well, stop standing around and go get your music book, I'll even lend you the piano in the Café."

"But, there's still so much to do, the only thing I've got done on it is the lyrics, I haven't even thought about what music to put it too…" I rambled. Brown didn't seem to care. He gently took my arm and escorted me towards the back door and onto the wood chipped trail that ran between lodgings.

"Just go get the lyrics and you can stay up all night to finish it if you must! And if you can't… well we'll cross that bridge if we get to it."

"Alright," I said in defeat, there was no arguing with Brown once he clung to such ideas. Brown pressed a key into my hands at the point where our paths disjointed.

"It's the key to the Café, just make sure to lock it up when you're done, Gloria will have a fit if another raccoon makes a feast of her kitchen," explained Brown, it earned him a giggle from me at least.

"Thanks Brown," I said, giving his hand a friendly squeeze. I saw the faint outline of his head nod, and we finally went our separate ways.

I walked into my cabin to see Connect 3 and their two friends. I was shocked when the two tackled me into a hug but what surprised me more was that I hugged them back. I hadn't seen the two of them in over 7 years, and it was nice to see that they hadn't changed one bit.

"Mitchie! Brown didn't tell us you were teaching here too!" said the first.

"He didn't say anything about you guys either," I agreed, although I had a sneaking suspicious that Brown was trying to pull the wool over my eyes for something.

"It's like a Camp Rock reunion," sighed the second. My eyes narrowed as I looked in the direction I was sure Brown was in.

"Why that sly…" I mumbled underneath my breath.

"What was that, Miss?" asked Nate with a wicked look. I glared but quickly reined in my anger to turn to him with an innocent unsuspecting flutter of my eyelashes.

"Since you're new around these parts Nate," I began, using as sugary and sweet voice as I could while I advanced on him, "let me explain a thing or two. If I so much as hear that name come out of anyone but Gloria, Chet, or my grandparents, mouths, Connect 3 will have lost a great instrumentalist to the woes of being handless."

I made sure never to change my tone, and I was satisfied to see not only Nate gulp but Shane and Jason shiver in fright. I suppose it was the close proximity to my Mitchie Voice of Intimidation that created such a response.

"What about Brown? He called you… that name earlier tonight," asked Jason, a wide eyed look on his face as he feared for the man's life, "what are you going to do to him?"

"I'll bide my time, the man knows me well enough to be expecting it soon," I said with a smile. I stepped away from them and walked towards my beautiful pile of mess. I knew exactly where to look for my Music book, seeing as how it was the first thing I put away. I reached underneath my pillow and clutched the leather bound book to my chest.

"So what did you and Brown need to talk about?" asked one of the girls.

"I manipulated him into giving me the key to the kitchen, Peg," I answered as though it was a joke.

"Have you lost the spare that your mom made you?" asked the second. Here I frowned in disappointment.

"No Caitlyn, Brown figured that out years ago," I answered in disappointment, "It was nice seeing you guys, really, I'm afraid I've got to jet though."

"Why?" asked Shane, a serious look on his face I had never seen.

"Got a perfect idea for a song and I need to write it down before I forget," I answered, as I smiled apologetically at him even though I still hadn't a clue what I was going to do.

"Oh," answered Shane in disappointment.

"Hey, now," I began after seeing the same look flashing in Jason, Caitlyn and Peggy's eyes as well, "I'll be here all camp, I'm sure we'll find some time to hang out."

"Your right!" crowed Jason, "you've gotta sit with us at breakfast tomorrow, Mitchie."

"Sure, alright," I agreed with a grin. Jason shouted in excitement and began a small dance, which had him tripping over his own feet in the small area of Nate and mine's cabin. I reached out to steady him, before he could topple over Caitlyn, who happened to be in striking range.

"Well, then go write that song before your muse leaves you," said Nate as he pushed me towards the door. I gave him a playful glare, but continued out the door. The last thing I heard was the sly voice of Caitlyn saying:

"Your roomie has lovely tastes in women clothing Nate, or is it all yours?"

* * *

It was well past midnight, and not a single useful tune had come from the piano in front of me. I allowed my arms to bang down on the black and white keys harshly before resting my head on top of them. Writer's block is, I officially declare, the worst thing in the entire world, and I thought for sure I had gotten over it last month.

I straightened up, a determined look in my eyes as I positioned my hands into the right place but nothing came to me. Feeling as though if I didn't play anything that moment I might explode in frustration, I began to pound out my favorite piece on the piano, Andante Con Moto the version composed by Johannes Brahms.

I was focused on the piece I had memorized by the time I was 14. I wasn't even diverted when an audience appeared until they sat down beside me, and mimicked my hand movements on a lower scale. The combination was so terrible that I withdrew my hands from the keys as though burnt.

"Stalling are we?" playfully asked my roomie. I felt my face turn red and was glad that I hadn't the patience to turn on the light, besides the small piano lamp to the side of me which only cast larger shadows, so the darkness swallowed up my hot face.

"Do you want the simple answer or the extended one?" I asked, as I lightly began to press some of the ivory keys in front of me, illuminated by only the waxing moon.

"Extended please," suggested Nate, and I made a face, I thought for sure he would go with the simple one.

"Yes, I am stalling," I said.

"What was the simple answer than?" questioned Nate.

"Yes," I answered with a shrug as Nate let out a bark of laughter.

"It seems to me as though we have a song to write," said Nate, his curly hair damp, as he gave me a brilliant smile, well I thought it was a smile, it could have been a grimace but if he was willing I wouldn't look a Gift Horse in the mouth. Besides I knew I needed the help.


	4. Chef Nate

**Chapter 4:** Chef Nate

By the time Mitchie and I had finally reached a useful tune for the song she refused to sing out loud, the sun was just beginning to rise. It was a rather frustrating night, but it left Mitchie satisfied, and I suppose that would have to do for me.

We walked side by side towards our cabin, a happy Mitchie trailing behind me by a step. So when she stopped suddenly, it took me a few steps to realize she wasn't following me. I turned around and gave her my best inquiring look.

"What's got you chasing the fairies?" I asked, an amused feeling settling over me as I noticed her faraway look over towards our right, towards the lake.

"The lake," admitted Mitchie, "I was wondering if I'd ever get to take a midnight Canoe hike across the lake."

This confused me, as I took a few steps to stand beside her to look over at the yellow tinges filling up the sky, mirrored in the still surface of the lake.

"Canoeing? I thought that you couldn't canoe, or at least that's what Shane use to say," I admitted as I felt small shocks of something like suspicious shoot through my body, had she lied to Shane in order to get his attention? Sometimes the things girls do to attract a rock star always had me questioning.

"That was when I was 16," said Mitchie, "I've taken a few lessons since then but even then I never really grasped the concept of canoeing until I was 21."

"Why'd you even want to learn? Aren't you a city dweller through and through?" I asked, trying to satisfy my own stubborn curiosity about the new mysterious Mitchie. I turned my head slightly to see a faraway look back on her face, and was overcome with a want to make it disappear, just like at the instructor meeting. Her hopelessly blank looks were something that didn't fit her at all; it didn't belong on the girl no matter that I had just been reunited with her yesterday so I employed a way to get her to open up, I teased her. Although my teasing had a reverse affect on her that instead of getting her to open up it only made her mad and competitive, but I still think it was highly successful and I would do it again in a heartbeat.

"Hmm?" she asked before turning slightly to gaze up at me with empty eyes, "oh, right, well my dad wanted to go on a camping trip with the family and we had to canoe to the campsite, it was the worst experience of my life, but I learned to canoe."

I chuckled slightly at her admittance and lightly tugged her goose bump raised arm.

"Come on we should get back to the cabin to get a _few _hours of sleep at least, the campers are arriving at noon," I said as I let go of her arm as she began to follow me. At her stricken face, I only smirked as way of reply.

"That's only 6 hours away!" cried out the girl. I nodded as way of answering and looked back to enjoy watching the array of expressions pass her face and through her eyes, it fit her better anyway.

"We best get to bed then," I answered, as I tried to steer her towards the cabin. She followed reluctantly.

"I'm not that tired," she said after a few moments of silence, "besides we just have to wake up at 8."

"Yeah, but that's 2 hours of sleep, more sleep then we have right now," I said, trying to persuade her, after all how could we function in the morning surrounded by excited teenagers without some sleep.

"It's also 2 hours we have to do whatever we want before everyone starts to get up," responded Mitchie. A silent battle occurred once our eyes met, and I got a feeling I was losing.

"Like what?" I asked, trying to hide my defeated tone. She seemed to notice anyway as she gave me an amused grin that was lit up by the suns rising rays, I'll admit it was a beautiful picture.

"I brought some cards," admitted Mitchie as she raced ahead of me and towards the cabin that was only 15 feet ahead of us. "You wait out here, I'll be right back!"

I didn't have to wait long before Mitchie crashed through the screen door and ran up to me, pack of cards in her hands.

"Why couldn't we just play cards in the cabin?" I asked amused by Mitchie's antics, while she flushed rosy pink, or I suppose it could have been the glare of the sun that gave her cheeks their color.

"I don't want to risk waking up Shane and Jason," said Mitchie as she tugged my shirt to drag me towards the docks. I gently reclaimed my shirt but pulled up to walk beside her, "sometimes I get a _little_ competitive."

"Alright, then why the docks?" I asked as I chanced a sideways glance at her. She was walking forward, shuffling the deck of cards as we continued on our way.

"Nate," she began in a grave voice as she turned to face me, even as we continued to walk forward, "never underestimate a sun rise."

I couldn't find any answer for this and so continued to follow her towards our destination. We walked out towards the docks edge and Mitchie sat down and took off her sandals, dipping her toes in the water.

"So what game are we playing?" I asked as I joined her in sitting on the edge, I made sure to stretch my feet above the water, not wanting my shoes to get wet.

"I was thinking war," she said devilishly, "I'm really good at war."

"How can you be good at a game of luck and chance?" I inquired. Mitchie only laughed before she turned to deal out the cards. We played our game in silence as the sun continued to rise higher in the horizon.

"So did you pick a song for the Teachers Jam tonight?" asked Mitchie. I thought about being as stubborn as she was being towards her song, but answered her anyway.

"Me and the guys talked about it and be decided to sing one of our older songs, I think we finally decided on _Play my Music_," I said. Mitchie seemed to soak this in and looked confusedly over at me.

"That's a really old song, why that one?" she asked as she looked up from the battle she had just won, maybe she was really good at this game.

"Shane said that it just felt right, since he wrote it here, he thought that it deserved to be sung back here, Jason and I agreed," I explained. She seemed to accept my explanation, as she nodded along with what I was saying.

"Then why'd you come to help me? Shouldn't you guys have been practicing?" Mitchie asked her head turned to me at just the right angle that her face was blocked by the sun's rays.

"We didn't need to practice, besides Jason and Caitlyn wanted to take a walk around the camp, Peggy had to make a call, and Shane wanted to rest up before Ella comes tonight," I explained, and made sure that I was observing her face as I said this, but the sun was still selfishly guarding her face from my sight.

"So everyone else had somewhere else to be, except you so you hunted me down?" Mitchie asked as she threw a 5 of hearts down on the dock.

"Well that and I heard you bashing the piano as I walked back from taking a shower," I corrected as I placed a 2 of clubs on top of her card. I made sure to withhold the fact that Brown had met me on the way back to my cabin and convinced me to go help her out. She smiled but shook her head at me as she swooped up her winnings and added it to her collection of cards.

"Ah-hun, well, thank-you for your help anyway," she said as she gave me a small grateful smile.

"Why were you so desperate to finish this song tonight anyway?" I asked, as I turned to drop another card and look out over at the lake.

"I didn't have anything prepared for the Jam tonight," she answered, but I recalled a portion of the conversation that she and Brown had last night that I had overheard.

"I thought I heard Brown say that you had finished one last month," I said. Mitchie seemed to freeze but after a few moments she rested her card on the deck and drew her legs up onto the dock to hug them to her chest.

"I did," Mitchie answered tight lipped.

"Why aren't you using that song then?" I pressed as I grabbed the cards to add to my deck.

"I sold the rights to the song to some record company, and as a musician I'm all about originality and signed contracts," joked Mitchie without any real humor. I observed her subtly, and noticed the way she shifted slightly in her seat uncomfortably and bit her lower lip thoughtlessly.

"So you're a song writer now?" I asked as I dropped a 10 of spades on the wood beneath us. Mitchie placed a 10 of diamonds beside mine and a silent war of cards began.

"Not officially," admitted Mitchie. She flipped the last card for our war and placed a queen on top of two overturned cards, and I topped mine with an Ace. I gathered her cards with a gloating smile and she pouted. Nearby we heard the distinct sound of car wheels on pebbles, and Mitchie looked over in that direction before standing up.

"Where…" I began but trailed off as she offered her hand to help me stand up, which I cautiously took. With a heave she drew me up and swiped the cards from my hand.

"Wanna go help Gloria and Chet with me?" offered Mitchie as she slipped a rubber band over the combined deck of cards.

"You sure we won't get in their way?" I questioned as I started to walk towards solid ground with Mitchie behind me. Mitchie laughed at me as she jogged to catch up.

"If we do get in their way, they'll banish us to fix up the cafeteria, but they won't turn down our help."

"Alright then, you lead the way," I said as I gestured for her to bypass me. I didn't want her to see my look of silent trepidation, nor did I want to admit that Chet intimidated me a little. In no time Mitchie had effortlessly led us to the side door that led into the kitchen. Chet and Gloria had already started to beat various concoctions together in the large bowls in front of them.

"Morning Gloria, Morning Chet," said Mitchie as she drew her hair up into a ponytail, I followed her over to the counter while repeating my own greetings.

"Morning Miss, Nate," called out Chet.

"Morning to you too dearies," answered Gloria with a welcoming smile that had me lightening up.

"You didn't have to rush to help us Miss," laughed Chet, Mitchie looked confusedly at Chet, and so he elaborated, "you're still in your PJs."

"Oh," nervously laughed Mitchie as she looked down towards her PJs then over at me to notice that I was in mine as well.

"We were wondering if you needed any help," I said for the both of us, as an embarrassed Mitchie seemed unable too.

"That would be wonderful!" exclaimed Gloria as she poured her yellow batter into a large skillet, "you two can mix some more batter for us."

"Our old bones can hardly handle the strain," continued Chet as he poured 10 perfect disks onto another skillet from his bowl of batter.

"Alright, hand over that bowl then Gloria, and Nate and I can take over mixing it," said Mitchie as she reached out for the bowl Gloria was passing over.

"Nate how about you get an extra bowl, there should be a whole cabinet full just behind you," said Chet as he gestured behind my head, I nodded and walked over to get a bowl for myself as Mitchie passed behind me to go to the fridge were she withdrew a carton of eggs and gallon of milk and returned to the counter the same time that I did.

"Nate how about you make the eggs, and I'll start the pancakes," said Mitchie. I raised an eyebrow at her as she tried to take the bowl away from me.

"You don't think that I can pancakes?" I asked enthused. She gave me a look that clearly showed her disbelief.

"So you know who to make enough pancake batter for the 30 staff members here?" she asked.

"30 staff members? I thought that this year there was only 20 instructors and counselors?" I asked as I lifted the clean bowl out of her reach.

"There is but you forget the year round staff, like Stacy, Brown's sectary, and Will the lifeguard," said Mitchie, and I was surprised by her familiarity to the Camp and ashamed I didn't know as much as she did, despite my closeness to the camp and its director.

"Anyway, you can trust me to make the batter," I said, at her skeptical look I continued, "I usually make breakfast, and Shane and Jason can eat more than 30 people combined on some days."

"If you say so," finally conceded Mitchie as she began to swiftly crack two eggs at a time into her bowl, and when the carton was empty she poured a rough amount of milk into the batter expertly as well as a dash of salt and a smidge of pepper. I turned back to my own work and began to combine the correct ratios of ingredients.

Before long Mitchie and I were done mixing our respective batter and handed them over to Chet for inspection. Mitchie was looking curiously over to where Chet was pouring out my batter into perfect circles, and I smirked.

"Miss staring at them pancakes isn't going to make them cook faster," playfully admonished Gloria as she took out some biscuits from the oven, ones that she had prepared as Mitchie finished cooking her batter into scrambled eggs. I sat down at a bar stool at the counter waiting for something to do.

"Nate why don't you start cutting up fruit and Missy why don't you start heating up some bacon," advised Chet. Mitchie agreed wholeheartedly as she placed the scrambled eggs into the tin serving trays, than put the extra large skillet into the sink to wash later.

Mitchie grabbed another skillet and cutting board from the cupboard. She placed the cutting board in front of my seat and her skillet on the stove. I went to the fridge to grab her stacks of bacon and some of the refrigerated fruit. By the time I got back to the counter Mitchie left a knife and the unrefrigerated fruits beside my cutting board. I placed the bacon close to her and we began our jobs. Gloria and Chet would tease Mitchie and occasionally me as well as we all worked, and before long breakfast was ready and on the serving table out in the cafeteria.

"Well Missy, you and Nate did a good job," praised Chet as he patted both of our backs.

"You did, but I think you had best go get ready for the day before the other's arrive, because before you know it the campers will be here ready and confused," joked Gloria as she came in from the kitchen with another basket full of biscuits.

"I suppose we should, but I'm rather hungry," laughed Mitchie as she looked down at her rubber ducky PJs and then shyly towards the serving table. I looked down at my own and with a grimace tried to forget all the sleep that I had lost tonight. One of my defining personality traits was that I loved my sleep and I loved to take naps, but it seemed that Mitchie was starting a habit of making me lose that what was most precious to me, after all it did happen twice.

"Let's get changed quickly then," I said as I turned to assess the room, and was satisfied that nothing appeared out of place.

"Wait, I've got to try these pancakes of yours first," said Mitchie, as she stalked towards the serving table a hungry gleam in her eyes.

"Can't that wait?" I asked as I followed her over to the table, brimming with delicious smelling foods.

"No, by the time we get back the pancakes that you made will be all gone, and besides, first come first serve," said Mitchie as she got a plate and loaded it with food. I shrugged, I couldn't beat her and I was hungry, so I joined her. Gloria and Chet smiled towards each other and joined us in gathering a plate full of food.

We all settled down at one of the tables closest to the windows that over looked the woods that surrounded the camp. Mitchie was looking apprehensively at her pancakes, before cutting a triangle piece out and lifting it to her mouth. I paused in eating to watch for her reaction, curious to see if her anxiety was well placed even though I knew it wasn't. With a deep breath Mitchie shoveled the piece in her mouth and her eyes seemed to light up.

"This is really good," admitted Mitchie as she smiled, I gave her a reproachful look. Her admittance wasn't enough, seeming to read my thoughts she added, "I'm sorry for my misplaced disbelief, I should know that if Shane will eat your pancakes that should be enough."

"And why is that?" drawled a voice from the door way. We turned to look and saw my band mates and our 2 friends behind him approach us.

"You're a picky eater," called out Mitchie as though it was common knowledge. I smirked at the guilty look on Shane's face as the quartet finally stopped in front of us.

"Mitchie!" exclaimed the ever loud Jason, "you promised to eat with us." He said with a pout that made Mitchie scoot away from me in order to make an empty area for him to sit next to her.

"Then you guys go get some food and join us here," propositioned Mitchie as she directed them to the serving table. She then turned to the elderly chefs and said, "I hope you don't mind if they join us, I did promise to sit with them at breakfast."

"No, that's fine Missy, it's good to see you with friends," kindly declared Gloria as she patted Mitchie's hand from where she sat across from us. Before I could even comprehend what Gloria meant the 4 returned to our table and sat down with us, with Caitlyn commandeering the spot Mitchie cleared for Jason to sit next to Mitchie herself. Jason settled for sitting on the other side of Mitchie while Shane and Peggy sat next to Gloria and Chet on the other side of the picnic table.

"Perhaps I should introduce everyone?" Mitchie asked as she looked around her at her table companions.

"Me and Shane already know Gloria and Chet, Mitch, so you don't have to introduce us!" said Jason as he dug into his tower of pancakes slathered in syrup.

"You two might know but, I'm afraid I'm at a lost," said Peggy politely. Mitchie smiled warmly at her friend and turned her attention to Gloria and Chet.

"Alright since you already know Shane and Jason, Gloria, Chet, Peggy is the one sitting next to Shane and this is Caitlyn," introduce Mitchie as she patted Caitlyn on the shoulder. Caitlyn smiled up at the elderly couple and held out her hand to the two. Chet eagerly met her hand half way and gave it a firm but loose shake, Gloria followed with a handshake of her own and Peggy offered the two her hand as well.

"It's good to meet you two," said Peggy with a smile as she retraced her hand in order to eat her breakfast.

"What brings you two to Camp Rock?" asked Caitlyn as she took a bite of her bacon.

"We're the cooks here," answered Gloria, "if it hadn't been for Missy and Connie, we'd never have been blessed with such a great opportunity as this."

"Mitchie, I thought that your mom was the caterer?" said Caitlyn as she turned to her reunited friend.

"She was," agreed Mitchie with a shrug, but didn't explain herself further. This got me curious as I watched Gloria and Chet give Mitchie an understanding and reassuring glance. After all she had told me what happened without any prompting but she was reluctant to say it to the large group before her, maybe she wasn't as truthful as I pegged her to be. Caitlyn frowned and shared a look with Jason over Mitchie's plate of food.

"Dude, Nate, these pancakes taste just like the ones you make on tour!" exclaimed Jason, trying to dispel the sudden tension.

"Tour?" said Gloria as she looked over at me in an appraising look.

"Oh, yeah, Nate get's to make these pancakes all the time when we're on the road all over the world," said Shane. Now both Chet and Gloria were giving me looks, and I could see Mitchie shaking in repressed laughter beside Caitlyn.

"You know, he does look an awful lot like that band mate of Shane's the one that is plastered all over Brown's office," said Chet as he looked over at his wife. Caitlyn looked to Mitchie for understanding, and Mitchie leaned over to whisper something into her ear. Caitlyn smirked but rolled her eyes muttering something back to Mitchie. Mitchie nodded gravely but a smile was still shining in her eyes.

"He did say his name was Nate Greene," admitted Gloria, as she passed her scrutinizing look over my figure, "I just didn't connect that this was the Nate Greene that Lizzie and Alyssa are always giggling over in the magazines."

"I didn't know that Alyssa was into boys yet, isn't she only 5?" questioned Mitchie trying to turn the conversation away from me and onto Alyssa, which I'm guessing was their relative.

"Oh heaven's no, but whenever I bring it up she gets sassy and says 'Gr_and_-MA, Connect 3 is not _boys, _they're _men_' as if that changes anything," told Gloria, which had the girls giggling, and my band mates and I shift uncomfortably but slightly amused. Chet laughed and teased us about our biggest fans being his youngest granddaughters and the rest of breakfast continued in the same easy way, with people steadily streaming into the room throughout the following hour.

"Well Missy," said Chet as he began a conversation with Mitchie while the others continued with a different topic, "How's that father of yours doing? Is he feeling any better?"

"Yes, he is, Mom's really optimistic that he'll be able to take her on a picnic soon," said Mitchie, as I listened in.

"I'm glad to hear it," said Chet as he patted Mitchie's out stretched hands. Mitchie smiled at him and patted his hand back as she turned her attention to my inquiring eyes.

"I think we should go get dressed before those campers start rolling in. They'll be here in a few hours," she said addressing me, as she gave a look towards my PJs I smirked in reply and gave her rubber duckies a similar look.

"I think that we should," I answered as I began to stand up, which drew the attention of the rest of our group.

"Where you two off too?" asked Peggy, giving me look with an underlining meaning, one I choose to ignore.

"We need to get changed, we came here in our pajamas," said Mitchie as she tugged on her rubber duckies self-consciously. The group turned their attention to our attires and Jason was smiling.

"I love your PJs Mitchie," Jason said as he smiled reassuringly at Mitchie and she visibly relaxed. This happened to be a gift of Jason's that always threw me and Shane off, the way that he could easily detect a mood and dismiss all negative ones. It was a talent that Jason had developed through the years, because when we were younger he wasn't any where as efficient at it as he is today in fact his attempts could be classified as clumsy.

But with that said and a promise to return soon, Mitchie and I finally relocated to our cabin to change. That was when we ran into the ugly question of just how to accomplish that? With the bathrooms rather far away and no detached rooms for one of us to change in, we needed a plan.

* * *

**A/N: Well another chapter done and up! Whoosh, I hope you guys like it. Thanks for all the reviews it's been really great to see the feedback. One thing to clarify is that this story is a Nitchie, or at least I'm really trying to make it that way…**


	5. Shane has a Say

**Chapter 5:** Shane has A Say

After Nate and Mitchie left, Jason and I decided to practice our song for the Teacher's Jam. We didn't need the practice, but we had nothing else to do while we waited for the duo to return. Caitlyn and Peggy joined us, and in the process destroyed any chance we had to rehearse. Caitlyn and Jason were being lovey-dovey as Peggy and I quietly mocked the two, while silently glad that the two had each other.

15 minutes passed; filled with Jason and me messing around when a red faced Nate crashed through the doors with an amused Mitchie behind him, both of them dressed and prepared to meet the day. I walked up towards Mitchie, determined to utilize the plan I had come up with when Brown told me she was going to be teaching this year.

It wasn't an overly elaborate plan, as there was only one step; Make her forgive me. I knew that Mitchie didn't know everything I did to her, but I had been reckless once and hurt too. You see Mitchie and I had once dated when we were teenagers and had broken up on amiable enough terms. It wasn't until a few months later that we had 'thefight'.

It was at a mutual friend's party, and it was all rather stupid in retrospect but at the time it hurt both of us. One thing led to another, and I unwittingly destroying any chance she had with a respectable record company, because who would defy the all powerful Shane Grey and his advice? It also led to the termination of our friendship, and any form of polite public decorum.

"Hey Mitchie," I said casually, and Mitchie cautiously returned my greeting. She then backed away from me to join Caitlyn and Jason on the other side of the room, another unsuccessful attempt at friendship.

A few hours later had me sure that everyone, even Jason, was getting wise to the fact that I was trying to do something, everyone that is but Mitchie. Mitchie had kept a steady distance away from me, and remained polite. The only thing that I didn't understand was that Nate seemed to be watching Mitchie and my every action as though under a microscope.

"Nate, stop that! It's creeping me out," ordered Peggy as she voiced my same opinions. Nate's stare didn't falter, but shifted towards her.

"What am I doing?" he questioned. I watched as Peggy gave him her own patented stare, it was worse than that voice of Mitchie's. Speaking of Mitchie, I turned to see her worrying her lower lip, like she always did when nervous.

"Hey, you okay?" I asked as I tuned out Peggy and Nate. Mitchie only stared out the window from across the table we had relocated too. She was making this harder than it had to be.

"The campers should be arriving soon," said Mitchie as she chanced a glance in my direction. Inwardly I cried out in triumph she was _finally _opening up to me, but outwardly I only gave her a small encouraging smile.

"You shouldn't be nervous, you'll be a great teacher," I said, at least I hoped that she would be.

"Oh, yeah," said Mitchie with a smile that told me I had missed my mark in guessing her anxiety. I cursed myself silently at that, there had once been a time when Mitchie and I could communicate with a simple glance.

"So Shane," said Peggy, as she tried to dispel the thick tension from the air around me and Mitchie, "what time is Ella getting here? Will she be in time for the Jam?"

"Last night she said that she's planning on being here at 8, so just before the Jam starts," I answered, as I temporarily addressed Peggy and ignored Mitchie. Peggy seemed satisfied with my answer but then she continued to question me about our record company, and other various aspects of my life. When I glanced over towards Mitchie in the middle of listening to Peggy, I was surprised to see Mitchie and Nate playing a card game. This sparked my interest, when had the two had gotten so close? Hadn't they just been reunited the other day? I smirked; something about his actions had me thinking that Nate might be developing a crush on her. But what really had me interested was… where had that deck of cards come from?

"Hey what are you two playing?" asked Jason as he leaned over to look at Nate's hand of cards, "If you were playing Go Fish, Nate you'd be totally winning right now."

"Really?" smiled Mitchie as she looked at were Jason and Caitlyn were sitting across from one another, "but we're just playing Crazy 8's."

"Ooh, deal me in," said Caitlyn as she got her competitive face on. I shuddered slightly knowing what this could possibly lead to, like the time a simple game of Tic-Tac-Toe had ended with me breaking my pinky toe, and I wasn't even the one that she was playing against!

"Alright, let me just re-deal these cards all out, Jason are you playing too?" Mitchie asked as she stole the cards right out of Nate's hands and began to bridge the deck.

"Sure, how about you, Peggy? Shane?" Jason asked as he turned to us, I shrugged my acceptance, and Peggy quickly declined, admitting her fear to Caitlyn's playing. The floodgates opened and we teased Caitlyn about her dirty playing, all but Mitchie who only silently shuffled the cards. But at a lull in our teasing Mitchie gave Caitlyn an inquiring look, which she responded to with a smile. Was it really only me that was so out of tune with my Mitchie senses?

Thus began an epic game of Crazy 8's with a few of the other counselors joining in on the game as the time passed. But our game was interrupted when Brown came in to announce the arrival of the early camper's. This was enough to quickly disperse the accumulated counselors to help Brown with the arrival's, our group was not excluded as Mitchie disappeared with Brown, and Jason and Caitlyn went to help other fellow instructors. This left Nate, Peggy, and I to our own devices, which turned out to be helping separate the campers into their pre-assigned cabins with Mitchie and Brown nowhere in sight.

"Hey, what happened to Mitchie?" asked Jason when he joined Nate and me not 10 minutes later, voicing my very thoughts out loud.

"She disappeared," I answered only semi-jokingly. Jason and Nate both gave me a look, to show their disapproval; apparently I still needed more work on my sensitivity.

"Shane, people don't just disappear," said Jason, in a tone that told me that he was thinking of that rather poor excuse for a magician that had Jason having a rather harsh wake up call and nightmare's for the following weeks.

"I was kidding," and again the look was given, "alright, I'm sorry, geeze, no jokes about Mitchie disappearing."

"Good because when you say it out loud, it feels just like last time," Jason said softly with a hurt expression on his face that had me feeling more than a little guilty. It wasn't until after Mitchie and my fight that I saw how close Jason and she had become in the 9 months that we had seriously dated. He had been rather confused at first at Mitchie's sudden abandonment of us, and after I had left Nate to explain the situation he had actually stopped talking to me for 3 days, an unusually harsh punishment from Jason.

I mentally promised Jason that it wouldn't happen this time because this time we weren't going to let her go without a fight.

After a few hours of helping out the arriving campers I was finally able to coerce my uncle into giving us all a quick break when he made an appearance to welcome the campers. With weary feet I led myself towards the kitchen in order to swipe myself a sandwich. My tired eyes looked over towards the Lake and noticed a lone figure strumming an acoustic guitar sitting at the benches. The same benches Mitchie and I use to meet to talk or go canoeing her first year as a camper and my first year as an instructor. I approached the figure, a slight hint of curiosity igniting in me, but not enough to match Nate's all encompassing intrigue that popped up whenever a puzzle was before him.

As I got closer I heard the soft melody of the guitar and I noticed the long brown hair of Mitchie's.

"That's a nice sound, what's it too?" I asked as I took a seat at the bench across from her. She turned to me with a frightened look after jumping about 10 feet in the air.

"Shane! Don't do that," Mitchie said with a reprimanding tone. I looked over at her, and was happy to see that she had finally stopped avoiding me.

"The song, who wrote it?" I asked again. Mitchie turned around so that she was no longer facing the lake and instead staring over at me her expert and calloused fingers no longer strumming her instrument.

"Shane, why are you doing this? I think we made it clear 8 years ago we never wanted to see each other again," Mitchie said with an angry look in her eyes that made me winch, at least inwardly, Shane Grey does NOT flinch away from a girl, even one as scary as Mitchie.

"We did, but…" I began, but Mitchie gave me her _look_, the one that oozed disappointment and hurt.

"Then why do you want to make up now? After all these years, after we have our own lives," said Mitchie. Faced with such a question there was only one thing I could do, and that was lie.

"Well we're stuck with each other for the next 2 months, so I thought that we should at least try to get a long, you know for Jason's sake," I said slyly with a forced smile, I was still too ashamed to admit that I had single handedly black-listed her from ever becoming something big.

"What aren't you telling me?" Mitchie asked as I shifted uncomfortably under her piercing look.

"Nothing," I said a little too quickly, but Mitchie didn't call me on out it, this time. I was grateful that she hadn't but added, "So, frenemies?"

"No," said Mitchie, and the smile dropped from my face.

"But…" I began but she quickly cut me off by raising her hand.

"I said no to frenemies," explained Mitchie, "we can be acquaintances, Shane, but just until camp is over, then we'll return to our own lives and our own worlds, alright?"

"What? But Mitchie-" I started to say, but again she cut me off.

"_Alright?_" she demanded, and with a regretful nod of my head she beamed, "Good, I'm glad."

Again the wheels turned in my head, and another step was added to my plan. Once she forgave me, I would make her stay in our lives.

"So where did Uncle Brown take you off too?" I asked once a moment of silence turned into a minute.

"He wanted me and a few other's to help set up for the Jam tonight," Mitchie said as she stretched her arms out around the guitar, with a painful scowl at her limps. I guess Brown had her doing the hard work.

"Oh, that's the worst, Jam preparation is terrible," I agreed thinking of all the back breaking work that goes into just one Jam. I did not envy her or whoever else had to help out.

"Yeah, especially when Brown wants to move the Baby Grand onto the stage," said Mitchie with a pout that made me laugh.

"Come on, I think that my breaks over, and I think so is yours," I said as I gestured to the awaiting Brown, who was giving us a stormy look. Mitchie groaned in despair. It would seem that my sandwich would have to wait until later.

The next time that I saw Mitchie it was during dinner and I was too anxious to really pay much attention to what she was doing because I kept on looking up at the clock, waiting for 8 o'clock to come around as well as a certain someone.

"Is he broken?" I heard someone whisper beside me, but I didn't note who as the clock had just turned to 6:36 and I was distracted by my excitement but not enough to hear the reply.

"I think so, but it wouldn't be the first time," laughed my fellow band mate Nate. I turned my attention from the clock to glare at him.

"Hey, I can hear you still," I said, Jason patted my back but he too showed no sign of sympathy.

"I think that was his point," loudly whispered Jason into my ear, I was about to retort with something witty and smart, but the ringing of my cell phone was a more pressing matter. I didn't even check the caller ID before I answered, retreating from the table with a wave towards my friends.

"Where's he going?" I heard Mitchie ask, but I didn't hear what Nate said this time, though it obviously got her attention if that look of surprise was on her face.

After I gave my greeting, a soothing voice of an angel answered mine with her own. We talked for a few minutes as the angel on the other side of the line informed me that she was going to be later then she expected, and could I tell Brown that too? I swiftly agreed and after a few more moments of conversation, we said our goodbyes and I returned to the table where Jason and Nate still sat.

"What did Ella have to say?" asked Jason, as he scooted over to make room for me to sit beside him.

"She's going to be late getting here, but where did they go?" I asked as I gestured to where the girls once sat, and now left empty. I looked over at Nate who I sat across from and smiled when I saw a frustrated look on his haggard face. I don't know why I didn't notice it before but Nate had slight bags under his eyes showing just how tired he must be, this was odd because Nate was well known for his excessive love of sleep, and even Jason and I had trouble persuading him to lose even a few hours of it.

"Mitchie is showing Caitlyn her new song," answered Jason, "apparently she and Nate spent the whole night coming up with it, and Peggy went to go practice her song." Nate gave another frustrated look, and I tried to ask Jason a question with my eyes, but he wasn't looking at me.

"What's got you in such a huff, Nate?" I asked as Nate rested his head on the table.

"I've been asking him the same thing, but he won't answer," Jason whispered to me, but then said out loud, "I'm glad that Caitlyn is working with Mitchie again, she used to tell me that that was one of the things she missed about having Mitchie around, they made awesome music together."

"Really?" I asked, as I turned to look at Nate, whose head now rested on his arms, but his face remained hidden, but from his body language I knew that he was still paying attention to our conversation.

"Yeah, Caitlyn still has it on her computer, and occasionally when we have a dinner party or something we put those songs on in the background," said Jason with a shrug. At this new information I tried to recall hearing any such music, as I was one of Jason's best friends I had been to all of his dinner parties, but even then I couldn't recall the songs.

"I don't remember any of those songs," said Nate, as he lifted his head up slightly to watch Jason's reaction.

"They weren't songs yet, they hadn't put any lyrics to them yet, maybe I should get Caitlyn to show you guys," said Jason as he looked around the room. Nate gave him a look before making a face over towards me, I grinned in reply understanding his feelings exactly at that moment, why had we not noticed the Mitchie shaped hole in their life until now?

"Maybe we should practice our song too, it wouldn't do to forget some of the song on stage," I said as I stood up from the table, and was quickly followed by Jason. Nate groaned but stood up anyway.

"Lead the way fearless leader," Nate grumbled as he gestured for me to lead us out of the room. I complied happily and lead the three of us to a little used practice cabin that was closest to the woods.

We practiced for as long as we could, and to tell the truth I think we sounded better today than when we had recorded the hit. Uncle Brown came to get us a half an hour before the jam was set to begin in order to set up the program for the Jam. When the three of us got there we noticed that Mitchie, Caitlyn and Peggy had all beat us there. With a look to my band mates we approached the trio with Jason eagerly leading us.

"So how did the music making go?" asked Jason as he slide an arm around Caitlyn's waist. Mitchie smiled warmly after catching sight of this and gave her friend a suggestive raise of an eyebrow.

"It was good, but there was no time to add anything to Mitchie's performance," said Caitlyn before looking at a frowning Nate, "not that it isn't perfect already."

"Hey, isn't that Sander and Lola?" asked Mitchie, not evening noticing the semi-tense atmosphere. Everyone turned to look at where her eyes were set. Sure enough there was Sander with Lola hanging on his arm talking to a laughing Uncle Brown.

"It appears so," agreed Peggy as she grabbed Mitchie's arm and began to lead her towards the couple, "we should say Hello; you haven't seen them in forever."

Mitchie appeared to be ready to protest but Peggy gave her a look that held more meaning than I could decipher, and so Mitchie nearly nodded in agreement.

"I haven't seen those two since their wedding 3 months ago, I suppose they finally decided to come home from their honeymoon, eh?" said Caitlyn as she patted the arm around her waist and looked out around the crowd to where the instructors were waiting to be informed about the schedule for the rest of the night.

Jason and Caitlyn lead the way to the wooden benches closest to the stage. Once I finally sat down I looked around for my Uncle Brown and in consequence Mitchie and Peggy as well only to see that the two had disappeared and Uncle Brown was still talking to Sander and Lola.

"Wonder why the two of them are here?" I asked as I looked over towards the trio masking my wonderment at where the other two had gone off to, "I don't think that Uncle Brown hired them."

"They don't live to far from here, maybe they just came for the Jam?" shrugged Caitlyn from where she was burrowed into Jason's side for warmth away from the unseasonably nippy wind.

It wasn't 3 minutes later that had Uncle Brown standing in front of us starting his speech on how the night was supposed to go. He then broke down who was going when and promised to have a schedule set up back stage. Throughout his speech Mitchie and Peggy remained mysteriously missing, but Uncle Brown didn't seem surprised when he looked over at our smaller group.

Before long the campers began to stream into the audience, with loud whispers of excitement and awe as they looked over towards the outdoor stage. As the last of the campers arrived, Mitchie and Peggy remained out of sight. Uncle Brown came to introduce the Jam and increased the hype of the already hyper campers. Once he was done he introduced the first performers, Peggy Dupree, accompanied on the piano by Mitchie Torres.

Mitchie began to play, she was as superior on the piano as she was on the guitar, and if I didn't know any better you would think that was where her passion lay. Her fingers glided and ghosted over the ivory and ebony keys, string together the beginning of a heartbreaking tune with a hypostasizing beat, than Peggy began to sing.

"_Won't be so easy  
This time to hurt me  
You can try  
And this time now baby there are no tears left…_"

Peggy continued to sing her moving song, I remember when she had first written this song and had sung it to us all.

"_So don't waste your time  
Your time has come and gone  
What are you here for  
You can't hurt me anymore…_"

Peggy had just gotten out of a long relationship with a guy that had appeared to be perfect for her, but in the end he turned out to be the lowest form of a jerk. He used Peggy for her connection to us and the music industry, we still felt guilty about that, but in the end Peggy had broken up with him the minute she found out about his sleazy ways and moved on a stronger person.

"_No damage you can do now I'm immune to you now  
You can't break what broke apart  
There's nothing you can do to me no more  
You can't break a broken heart  
Break a broken heart…_"

Finished Peggy as Mitchie continued to play the last chords of the piano's part. The two finished and silence stretched throughout the area, until a deafening roar of approval came from the campers followed by everyone else. Peggy smiled and bowed to the crowd before turning to gesture to the piano where Mitchie stood, waving out to everyone.

Before long they joined us at our bench. Peggy was beaming and Mitchie was walking shyly beside her.

"That was amazing you guys," whispered Jason as he jumped up to tackle them into a hug.

"When'd you find time to practice that?" asked Nate as he scooted down to let the two sit down, I raised an eyebrow but Nate didn't notice.

"We found time," said Mitchie as she plopped down next to Jason on the side Caitlyn wasn't occupying. I watched Nate for a reaction; he was always the easiest to read when he had a crush. But no predictable pout appeared on his face however as Peggy sat down in the space between Nate and Mitchie.

"Are you still going to perform your song?" asked Jason as he looked worriedly over at her. Mitchie nodded her head and Nate and I both let out a sigh in relief. I wanted to see if the girl that had been well on her way to fame had improved in the 8 years we had been apart.

"Yeah, I am, Brown's letting me go last though," said Mitchie with a shrug. Jason and Caitlyn smiled over at her, and Jason extended the flannel blanket he brought so that she could cover her legs. Mitchie beamed up at him and happily accepted her section of the blanket.

The next performers streamed out on stage and back off again with a rehearsed predictability, before too long it was my band and I on stage. It was always exhilarating to see our fans reaction to our performances, and tonight was no different. Although I did witness Nate's attention weaver to a certain brunette he was well on his way to liking more than just a friend. Truthfully I was glad because that would mean that Mitchie would be happy and so would my best friend.

Our song finished and the program continued with awesome act one after another. It was nearing the end before Mitchie disappeared backstage to get ready for her act. We didn't have to wait long for her to appear on stage, the Baby Grand turned so that she was half facing the crowd and half facing away.

"Tonight's last instructor to perform is Mitchie Torres, the new Vocal Instructor, she will be singing a song she has written with help from our own music instrumental instructor, Nate Greene," introduced Brown, and the crowd gave her a polite applause. Without pause Mitchie's fingers began their trek across the piano keys.

"_She was giving the world  
So much that she couldn't see  
And she needed someone to show her,  
Who she could be.  
And she tried to survive  
Wearing her heart on her sleeve  
And I needed you to believe…_"

Mitchie paused for only a moment before going on with her song. She was still an amazing performer, and my guilt multiplied. I had secretly been wishing that her flair had gone away, that way all her missed opportunities were her fault and not my own.

"_She was scared  
Unprepared.  
Lost in the dark.  
Falling Apart,  
I can survive…_"

Her song was close to the end and I looked around at the crowd. The crowd was deadly silent but all of their attention remained on the girl on the stage. Somewhere in the mass a familiar figure arrested my attention, and I focused on placing their gait. When I finally realized who it was a smile spread across my face and I abandoned my seat in order to meet her half-way.

"_You had your fears, I was fine.  
You showed me what I couldn't find,  
When two different worlds collide.  
When two different worlds collide._"

Mitchie finished her song at the same time that I caught up to Ella. I tugged her wrist to gain her attention, and didn't give her enough time to react to my appearance before I covered her mouth with my own. We broke apart to the cheer of the crowd for Mitchie's performance, my attention only on the girl before me.

"Hey stranger," I greeted and Ella giggled as she gave me a peck on the cheek before turning her attention to the stage.

"Did I miss the whole thing?" Ella questioned before a slight look of surprise crossed her face, "Is that Mitchie up there?"

"Yeah," I answered as I turned my attention to the smiling and bowing Mitchie on stage. She looked over in our direction, and I expected some emotion to cloud her features but all she did was send the two of us a smile and a wave. Ella waved wildly back up at her lost friend and rushed towards the stairs leading on stage, dragging me with her back stage. We found Mitchie chatting with my Uncle.

"Mitchie, you were awesome up there!" cried Ella as she wrapped the girl in a hug, "A real star."

"I'm hardly a star," admonished Mitchie as she pulled away from Ella's hug, with a smile on her face, "It's good to see you again Ella, or should I say Mrs. Shane Grey?"

Mitchie sent me a look, and I did something I thought I was long immune too, I blushed.

* * *

**A/N: The song sung by Peggy was "You Can't Break a Broken Heart" By Kate Voegele, while Mitchie sang "Two Worlds Collide" By Demi Lovato. Ah Great songs and obviously I didn't put the whole of the songs up there, mostly to save space but you're free to look them up. I hope you enjoyed it!**


	6. Mitchie's a Huge Help

**Chapter 6:** Mitchie's a Huge Help

I will admit that when I first saw that Ella and Shane had gotten together, I was a little shocked. I wouldn't believe that it was true, seeing as I had gotten the information from the cover of a magazine when I was at the grocery store. But after seeing the same report on every channel and magazine that would ever mention the two I came to realize it was a hundred percent true. I remember wishing that their relationship would last, just to save Ella's feelings. I knew from experience that she had always been the most sensitive girl despite her obliviousness at times.

Seeing the two together after the Jam had helped to lessen my anxiety towards the two's stability. I was glad that the two could be happy together, and I'll confess I was a _teensy_ bit jealous of their bond. Even looking towards Jason and Caitlyn was a chore sometimes because I felt as though I would never be as happy as they appeared to be. It was like I had hit a road block while everyone else progressed through life merrily.

"Mitchie, you were amazing!" cried Brown the second I stepped back stage. He was grinning widely and flung an arm around me, "Now all we need to do is get you on the radio."

"I was on the radio once," I said to sedate him, at his skeptical look I added, "In order to request a song I wanted to hear."

"Well, baby steps, sweet heart," said Brown patting my head. I laughed and swatted his hand away from my hair.

"So, did you really like it?" I asked shyly, suddenly self-conscious of his reply, after all he was an authority when it can to music. Brown gave me a quizzical glance at my face, as though judging my significance.

"It was best song of the night," assured Brown, as he smiled over at me at last and I released the breath I didn't know I held.

"Mitchie, you were awesome up there," said Ella as she gave me a bear hug, pushing Brown away, "a real star."

"I'm hardly a star," I disagreed, as I stepped out of Ella's hug, and smiled fondly up at my lost friend, "It's good to see you again Ella, or should I say Mrs. Shane Grey?" I couldn't resist staring over at Shane, only to be rewarded with his blushing at my stare.

"Hey! What about our performance, Uncle Brown?" called out Shane trying desperately to get the attention off of him and on to more pressing matters. Ella walked over to her husband and placed a kiss on his red cheeks in reassurance with Shane's arm automatically resting around her waist. I looked over towards the rowdy group that was approaching us from behind. They appeared more than pumped as their volume got louder and louder as they approached. While I waited for their arrival, I tuned back into the conversation at hand, a yawn separating my lips.

"You know, your performance lacked a little something I like to call Pizzazz, Mitchie had that in spades," said Brown as he gestured over to his taller relative. Shane laughed in reply as the group closed in on us at last, Lola and Sander leading the way, Jason and Caitlyn holding hands, and Peggy and Nate chatting behind them all.

"I told you this is where they went!" cried Jason triumphantly, as he pointed a finger in Nate's direction. Caitlyn patted his hand gently and told him that no one thought otherwise, "oh, right."

We all pleasantly joined together and began a game of interweaving conversations, congratulations, and greetings.

"I'm glad you finally made it Ella," I admitted as I turned towards her, despite the dubious Shane I continued, "at least for my sake, I was certain that Shane was having a seizure with all his bouncing around the closer it got to the jam."

"Hey, maybe I was just nervous about the Jam," claimed Shane. I couldn't quite keep from scoffing at him out loud, turning to Brown to give him a disbelieving look.

"You'd think by how he talks I've never had a decent conversation with him," I said to Brown. Brown beamed down at me and squeezed me close to his side.

"Atta Girl Mitchie," said Brown, I rolled my eyes at him but returned his smile all the same. Shane and Ella had already been absorbed into a conversation next to us, and we were easily forgotten.

"I told you I can play nice," I whispered towards Brown. I watched the group with guarded eyes, still leery about Shane's intentions in befriending me, not that I would admit that to his uncle.

"I'm glad," admitted Brown before he kissed my forehead, "You did a great job out there, but if my little birdie has his priorities straight, I think someone's in need of a little sleep."

"I don't…" I fought back a yawn, "Alright, I suppose some sleep will do me good."

"I suppose so, because that's just what the doctor ordered," teased Brown as he led the way to my cabin, the large gathering of famous people left in our wake.

"You best send Nate to bed too than, he was up just as long as I was," I said as I yawned once again thinking of my roommates earlier kindness, "thanks for sending him to help me, I really needed it, even if I won't admit it to him."

"I don't know what you're talking about," said Brown, even as he refused to make eye contact, a sign that proved his guilt, "but you're welcome." I rolled my eyes at him and turned back to look towards the group we had left behind. I smirked as I saw Nate trying to cover a yawn of his own. I stopped suddenly and turned around to get a better look at the group, Brown standing just beside me. Seeing Nate yawn once again in less than 20 seconds filled me with some form of mercy, and seeing Brown making no motion to intervene, I did so myself.

"Hey Nate!" I called out in compassion, Nate turned to me with droopy eyes, "We need to have Roomie meeting, ASAP."

"Do you really have too?" whined Jason glumly, and I sent him a large reassuring smile.

"I'm afraid so, Jace," I answered. Jason hung his head in acceptance, and Nate sent me his patented puzzled look before jogging over towards me and Brown.

"How long you guys gonna be?" yelled Caitlyn.

"I'm afraid all night, it's a rather important discussion about our ability to still remain roommates despite our pressing differences," I lied. Nate didn't seem to think so his face briefly showed his concern before it was gone, I caught his look and it took me by surprise, why would he care if we stayed roommates? We hadn't even slept in our room last night to have any real complaints about each other. Unless he had some ulterior motive, just like Brown had in hiring old Camp Rock campers, at least the ones that I was friends with at some point. Now that added a few _more _objectives I'd have to dig into, joy. Have I mentioned how much I hate mysteries?

"What'd you need?" asked Nate as he fell in step with Brown and me as we began our journey to our beds.

"I figured I'd give you an excuse to get to bed," I answered with a yawn that Nate echoed.

"Oh and where did this sudden benevolence come from?" questioned Nate after we said our Good Nights to Brown before reaching our side of the cabin duplex.

"I'm paying you back for helping me last night," I answered, and at seeing Nate's grateful eyes I couldn't help but tease him, "it's not every day you get to sleep in the middle of nowhere with a beautiful girl ten feet away."

"Yeah, their usually closer," answered Nate dryly rolling his eyes. I giggled; something about the picture Nate was trying to portray seemed utterly against his normal character, it was rather uproarious. We entered our unaltered room, neither of us bothering to turn on the light as I made a beeline for my bed.

"If that helps your self-esteem," I answered with a shrug before collapsing on top of the unmade bed I had never gotten around to making yesterday. I sighed in content as I burrowed into the piles of unsorted clothes and tangled sheets before burying my head underneath my pillow.

"Aren't you going to change?" asked Nate's voice from the darkness as I heard the rustling of fabric and skin. I snorted into my pillow, and refused to open my sleep weary eyes.

"Nope, I'm too tried to even attempt it, I'd just end up wearing my shirt as pants and my shorts as a hat," I answered, "'sides I'm to comfy now."

"Hey if that's your prerogative," said Nate as I heard him draw back his covers and climb under them. I didn't care to pay attention to anything else as my mind grew foggy, well except for the fact that Nate Greene snored in his sleep, a handy bit of gossip isn't it?

The next few days were uneventful. Classes began and like any good teacher I was able to pick out those with potential and those without. I couldn't tell if anyone else was able to pick up on such fine details as I was, but I knew that everyone in my circle of associates had some sort of opinion, and I had expected as much. It didn't stop the ongoing debates from being tiresome and annoying. They would always start the same way, like so:

"I think that one of the most talented kids this year is Holly, her voice is amazing," Nate would claim, and Shane had to add his own opinion.

"I get what you mean Nate, but that Wesley, he has mad skills on the dance floor," Shane would say, while Jason would disagree and declare:

"I think out of every camper Fletcher is one of the best, did you not see his guitar skills? He can even make the most realistic mallard duck call that I have ever heard!" Peggy and Ella were not excluded from speaking their minds. The only ones consistently silent on their opinions were Caitlyn and me, not that that stopped the group from asking what we thought on the talented group of campers.

On the 5th day of Camp Rock having officially started I found myself and Caitlyn alone relaxing on the benches by the docks, overlooking the canoers on Rock Lake.

"So Mitchie, how's teaching treating you?" asked Caitlyn as she stretched out on her bench, folding her hands behind her head and resting her legs along the length of the bench.

"Fine," I answered, "though this isn't my first teaching job I'll admit it's a lot easier here then back home."

"You're a teacher? What about your singing career?" questioned Caitlyn as I swung my feet underneath the bench, hoping to distract myself from the answer I was preparing to give her.

"That never really took off, but I'm happy with my life where it is," I answered as I looked away from my feet and up at her. I hope that she can't see my disappointment and distress hidden amongst the surety of my lying eyes.

"So what do you teach?" asked Caitlyn, her eyes closed and body relaxed so that I couldn't read her true reaction and she couldn't read mine.

"I teach Piano for the kids in my apartment building, occasionally voice too if they ask for it," I answered as I shrugged my shoulders forgetting that she couldn't see me, "it's really nice, flexible hours and good pay."

"I can see you enjoying that," said Caitlyn as she sat up, seeming to read my discomfort from my position but before she switched topics she simply added, "but it's not exactly the stage and I know you enjoy that even more." We remained silent for many moments before Caitlyn seemed to sense my depression and gracefully changed the subject. "So I never got to hear who you think has the most talent of all the campers."

"I haven't heard your opinion either," I said playfully dodging the question. Caitlyn didn't seem to mind as she shrugged her shoulders and looked out around the busy camp.

"I think that she has the most talent," said Caitlyn as she nodded her head to the shiest girl at camp. Her name was Natasha and this was her 1st time at Camp Rock. She played both the violin and bass guitar. She hadn't very many friends at camp but she seemed to get along just fine with a book in her hands and the sunshine on her face. I had seen the same talent in Natasha as Caitlyn had; only mine was more selfish because she reminded me of… well me.

"Me too, although I think that Bethany has a bit of raw untapped talent too," I admitted as I nodded to just beside Natasha where Bethany sat leaning on her friend, fast asleep. Bethany was here as a 3nd year camper and mainly a vocal artist, though according to Shane she was above mediocre in dance. She also happened to be Natasha's only friend here at camp and the two got along about as well as me and Caitlyn.

"I can see that, they remind me of us, the two amigos, only this time there isn't any Tess Tyler's to split them up," said Caitlyn with a satisfied smile.

"Tess isn't so bad now, in fact I see her all the time back home, she doesn't live very far and I usually run into her around town. She's gotten a lot nicer," I answered, this seemed to amuse Caitlyn as the girl gave a snort of laughter.

"Who would have thought?" said Caitlyn as she smiled, closed her eyes and lay back down but not before changing the conversation to something more believable.

The 3 days later, around the same time, I found myself walking towards the kitchen to help out with dinner. I had a free hour from class and I wasn't going to waste it doing nothing. All the other instructors had classes to teach or private sessions with campers and I was thankfully alone with time to think. My eyes caught onto a blurry figure in the distance, but I paid it no mind as I continued my trot towards the kitchen's side door.

As I got closer and the figure came into focus, the image that appeared before me made me more than uneasy. I cast a futile glance at the kitchen doors before swerving off course to approach the crying figure underneath the large oak tree. When I was only a few feet away, and the strawberry blond hair of the sniffling girl was before me, I softly called out her name.

"Natasha? Are you okay?" I called as I kneeled down to her eye level, or where it would be if she was looking up at me. Natasha looked up at the sound of my voice and quickly scrubbed the tears off of her face with the cloth of her teal shirt.

"I'm fine Ms. Torres, really, I'm okay," answered the puffy eyed girl. Tears still stained her cheeks and silent sobs still racked her body. Without a second glance at my escape route I plopped down beside her, leaning against the oak tree.

"You are not even close to being okay," I said not glancing in her direction in order to give her a little privacy to wipe away the last straggling tear drops that clung to her cheeks like a mountain climber. Natasha remained stubbornly quiet on the subject, and out of the corner of my eye I watched her rest her forehead on the knees of her bent legs. "Why don't you tell me what happened? I might not be much help but I know whenever I was upset all I had to do was talk about it to someone."

"You don't get upset anymore, Ms. Torres?" asked Natasha as her calculating red eyes turned to scrutinize me.

"I don't talk about it anymore," I answered, refusing to look at the girl this time so she wouldn't see the agony in my eyes, "but that's only because no one offers to listen."

"So you're offering?" asked Natasha, and I graced her with a smile as I turned over to her and nodded for her to continue, and waited patiently for her to begin her tale. Natasha stayed silent for a few moments gathering her thoughts and I didn't interrupt her train of thought with useless prompting. I didn't have to wait long before she began her story.

"It's Wesley, he's such a jerk," sniffled Natasha as she wiped at her eyes again, "he wasn't always so mean though. We used to be friends when we were younger, but he fell in with the wrong crowd and he hasn't talked to me since, well he hadn't... I wished it stayed like that because now instead of ignoring me, he makes fun of me and insults me."

"So, what'd he say this time?" I asked as I watched the girl with sincere sadness for her.

"He said I was a hack, that I could never be anything in the music industry, but he said it so loud that the whole class could hear him, and so I-I… I ran," said Natasha, "the worst part is that he knows all my fears and weaknesses, and that's what makes his insults hurt so much."

We stayed in silence at the conclusion of her speech and I stood up. The best way to heal a broken soul was to keep them busy, or at least distract them from it, or at least that had always been my experience. I dusted off my shorts and Natasha looked over at me with her hurt red eyes and I offered my hand to help her up.

"Ms. Torres, where are you…" began Natasha as I helped the girl onto her feet. Her questioning look reminded me that I had yet to explain.

"I went through something similar when I was your age, and the only thing that helped me was working in the kitchen, where I was able to get away from it all," I explained as I lead the way to the kitchen.

"So we're going to help out in the kitchen?" asked Natasha as she sent me a nervous look, "there's a reason I'm not planning on being a chef, Ms. Torres, I'm a terrible klutz and an awful cook."

"Then you can watch, besides I sort of already told the chefs that I'd help out in the kitchen," I answered as we walked through the open side door and into the kitchen.

"Missy, there you are, and look Chet she brought help!" cried Gloria from her position peeling potatoes. There was a whole pile of potatoes at Gloria's side that had yet to be peeled

"Ah, great timing Miss, how about you two take over peeling those potatoes for Gloria?" answered Chet from his position rolling out pie crust for the pie tins around him.

"Alright, though Natasha isn't here to help, just to observe," I said before they got their hopes up. I was beginning to suspect I was spoiling them with all the help that I was bringing in to help, but they only smiled and welcomed Natasha all the same. I quickly took over the grateful Gloria's spot and began to peel the pile of potatoes that still remained. Natasha dragged a seat over towards my side and looked curiously around the kitchen.

"I'm never seen such a huge kitchen," Natasha admitted as she watched Gloria begin to chop up carrots and celery.

"I grew up around kitchens like these," I explained as I grabbed a new potato to peel. Natasha turned her attention back towards me.

"Really?" asked Natasha as she scooted closer to me and played with one of the unpeeled potatoes.

"Yeah, my mom used to be a cater, in fact she use to cater for Camp Rock and that was the only way that I was able to even go to here when I was younger," I said as Natasha handed me the potato in her hand so that I could begin peeling it.

"You went to Camp Rock?" asked Natasha, "I mean I knew that Connect 3 did, and Caitlyn and Ella, but not you too."

"Yeah I did," I said, I was a _little _offended that she was comfortable enough to call Caitlyn and Ella their first names but not my own, "I think that this year all of the instructors are old Camp Rock graduates, I heard that that's the first time it's ever happened too."

"Wow, I didn't know that so many people from Camp Rock go on to be famous," said Natasha with star struck eyes, "how many campers have gone to be famous exactly?" This made me pause and think. There were plenty of campers that went on to have some various level of fame, if not all of them were recognized by parts of the country, if not the world.

"I don't know exactly, but the two years that I went to Camp Rock of the 250 or so campers about 70 of them went off to do something with their music," I answered after a moment. I blinked in surprise to see that at some point Natasha had gotten a hold of another peeler and began to peel the potatoes with me enthusiastically.

"Wow," said Natasha as she smiled up at me, one that I returned as the pleasant dins of the kitchen relaxed me. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the door slam open, Natasha must have been surprised too because when I looked over towards her she had repositioned herself on the ground.

"Mitchie, so this is where you snuck off too?" asked the curly haired guitar player. I grinned and waved Jason over.

"I didn't have to sneak off, you guys all had a class, and I distinctly remember telling you that Gloria and Chet needed help with dinner just this afternoon," I answered as Jason grabbed a seat and a peeler to help us peel without even being asked.

"Well, now that you mention it…" said Jason with a laugh as he dug into the pile to pick a choice potato to peel.

"Shouldn't you still be in class?" I asked, and gave my attention towards Jason, as Natasha had turned suddenly quiet, with a fearful look over towards the one of the Instrumental instructors.

"Probably, but one of our students ran off, so Nate sent me to find them," shrugged Jason, as he sent a smile and a wink towards the tense Natasha. Natasha relaxed knowing that she wasn't getting into trouble for ditching. I lightly tapped Jason's toes to get his attention to send him a grateful smile.

"So you're ditching class too then?" I asked. Jason shrugged in reply.

"I distinctly remember you saying that Gloria and Chet needed help at lunch…" Jason answered as I lightly shoved him trying to hold in my laughter.

"I hope those kids don't eat Nate alive," I said, Jason looked dreamily up into the clouds; a potato came and tapped his chin in thought.

"Mmm, Nate Tacos," said Jason dreamily, I shook my head as Natasha laughed at Jason's day dreaming pose.

"That's a great idea Jason!" called out Gloria from behind us, "Chet tomorrow we should have a Taco Bar."

"Ah, excellent," agreed Chet as he nodded his head, "Thanks Jason, for the live of us we couldn't decide what to have for dinner tomorrow."

"I'm glad that I could help," declared Jason unsurely as we finally settled into the tranquil air around the room. It didn't take long with 3 of us peeling potatoes, so 10 minutes later the potatoes where all peeled and Jason, Gloria, and I began to chop them up.

It took even less time for our task to be completed and added with the other ingredients into the pie crust. Chet put the last Chicken-Pot-Pie into the oven and there was nothing left for the helpers to do.

"What are we gunna do now?" asked Natasha as the three of us left the kitchens.

"I suppose I could go back to class, but it ends in like 45 minutes anyway," shrugged Jason, "and besides Nate has that all handled."

"You know I wonder if that's why Brown is letting you two teach that class together because it seems like one of you two is always sneaking off in the middle of class," I said as I directed us towards the benches beside the dock. The place always attracted me with its beautiful view and tantalizing memories, memories of times that I couldn't go back too (and didn't want too).

"Neither of them was snuck off in the middle of our lessons," said Natasha as she walked shyly by my side.

"Nothing that you've noticed," I said as I sent a disapproving look towards Jason, "it's usually around this time that one of them goes to get snacks for later."

"How do you know that?" asked Jason as he guiltily shifted his eyes away from my face.

"Nate always runs into me, either when he leaves or gets back," I answered as I plopped down on my typical bench, "I haven't caught you in the act yet, but it is rather suspicious that you always have a bag of licorice in your pocket."

"Yeah, I can't live without my licorice," admitted Jason as he sat down beside me. Natasha looked around curiously at the benches before looking over at me.

"Ms. Torres, can I ask you a question?" asked Natasha as she cautiously sat down on the bench across from us.

"Sure," I said turning my attention towards her.

"How come me and Beth, always see you sitting up here?" asked Natasha as her head swiveled around to look around the area.

"You know, you do come up here an awful lot," agreed Jason as he turned curious eyes towards me.

"I suppose it's because this is where I met one of my first friends at Camp Rock; we'd always meet up here," I answered with a shrug, "just habit I suppose."

"Who?" asked Natasha with a smile, "who was your first friend at Camp Rock?"

"Caitlyn was the first one I met, but I suppose it was Shane Grey that I was closest to after Caitlyn and I had a small falling out."

"You and Caitlyn?" asked Jason in disbelief, "I haven't heard about this."

"It was really small, like teeny tiny, and we made up shortly after," I said.

"Yeah, but what was it about?" pressed Jason as I shifted uncomfortably in my seat. Natasha appeared to have lost interest in the conversation as she looked out towards the lake.

"About Tess," I sighed out at last, "Caitlyn didn't think that Tess was a good friend, and I disagreed."

"But you made up?" asked Jason worriedly, I couldn't help but laugh at his concern.

"Yeah, we made up," I reassured as Jason looked on relieved, and he began to chat about other things, things that we could involve Natasha in, to distract her from the hurt that we were both sure she was suffering from.

It wasn't until around dinnertime that the rumors started about why Natasha had left in the middle of class, all of them outrageous and unrealistic. Jason and I had a "fun" time trying to stop them all before it got to be too much for Natasha. Jason and I tried to stay beside her for as long as she would allow, but in the end we had to leave her in the capable hands of Bethany.

"What was that about?" asked Shane as he and Ella walked towards the table with their plate full of Chicken-Pot-Pie.

"It doesn't matter," I answered as I sent a warning look at the trio of boys me and Jason had been correcting.

"Yeah, we're just helping a friend out," said Jason as stood up to scope up a forkful of pie into his awaiting mouth, straight from Shane's tray.

"Oh, alright," said Shane as he and Ella sat down across from us swatting at Jason's awaiting fork. Jason and I had been in here for at least an hour but Peggy joined us about a half an hour ago, and I was more than surprised that Shane and Ella were just now making an appearance.

"Where's Nate and Caitlyn?" asked Peggy from where she sat next to me. Shane and Ella looked around the room, as though searching for their lost friends.

"They were just behind us…" admitted Ella sheepishly as she turned back towards us. Shane was still turned towards the door, as though waiting for his friends to come through. He was rewarded only moments later when a soaking wet Nate and Caitlyn crashed through the door. Nate looked an awful lot like a drowned poodle with his hair plastered to his face. I had to restrain my laughter at their appearance.

"Hey, we were just wondering where you two had gotten too," said Jason with a smile as he raced over to his friend and girlfriend. Even though Caitlyn was wet Jason still tackled her into a hug and gave her a light kiss on the cheek this had me grinning, they are such a cute couple.

"Shane Grey, how in the world did you two get in here and stay dry?" called out Caitlyn after greeting us. Shane gave a devious smirk before pointing to the ground beside the door.

"An umbrella?" cried Nate after spotting the offending object. I hadn't even realized that it was raining outside. I looked out the window and saw that sure enough the sky was darkened with gray cumulus' as rain shot like bullets towards the ground while occasional bolts of thunder-less lightening light up the area.

"When did it start raining?" I whispered to Peggy, as the others were distracted in their own conversation. Peggy smiled over at me and shook her head.

"It started about 40 minutes ago, didn't you hear me complaining about it?" questioned Peggy.

"Oh," I said sheepishly, I must have really zoned out.

"Yeah, I heard it's only supposed to get worse, thunderstorms throughout the whole night," said Peggy as she returned her attention back to Nate as he tried to shake out the water from his hair. I'm glad she wasn't looking over at me though, as there was no way I could hide my horror.

I had been afraid of thunderstorms since I was little, it only got worse after my dad got into that terrible accident because of an intense storm a few years back. There was something about the thunder that had me quaking in fear and the clash of lightening that had me diving for cover. When I was little I would go and hide under my bed or sneak into bed with my mom and dad as I grew older I would lock myself in my room with all the lights turned off, blanket over head and music blaring in my ears. Now, though, I didn't have my iPod to block out the roars of thunder or a solid door to stop the rain.

"Hey, Mitchie!" called out Caitlyn snapping her fingers in front of my face in order to awaken me from my daydreaming or rather day-nightmares, "How long have you been in here?"

"A while, I didn't have any class before dinner," I answered ripping my eyes away from the stormy world outside to look over at my friends. Wondering how the clear skies only an hour and a half ago could be so deceiving.

"So you've been in here? Me and Caitlyn are late because we were looking for you!" cried Nate as he commandeered Jason's seat next to me. His clothes already starting to make a puddle underneath him, and I scooted away from him so that I wouldn't get wet too.

"You're all wet," I said as way of explanation when Nate gave me a wounded look. I started to regret my statement when Nate's eyes grew a mischievous gleam, the one he reserved when he was going to do something naughty, it was always a microscopic change in his eyes but it was learn or die situation. My intuition proved true as Nate slide over and threw an arm around me and grew me close to his sobbing wet side. I cried out even before the wetness soaked through my green t-shirt, I was so thankful I didn't wear that white shirt now!

"Now, what did you say Mitchie?" asked Nate as he looked down at me through his drowned head of curly bangs. I reached up and tugged hard on one of his wet curls.

"You look like a poodle," I said with a smirk as Nate reached up to rub his abused head with a pout but at least that got him to release me, I never liked the shocks he sent across my skin by such simple actions.

"That hurt," whined Nate as he brought his other hand up to tousle his messy hair, making curls form from previously flat strands.

"Stop being a baby," I answered. I joined in on the other's conversation, mostly to distract myself from the ongoing, growing storm outside. But as the hours stacked up I finally stood up from the table. This drew the other's attention, as they stopped my grand exit.

"Where do you think your off too?" asked Shane as he looked at my mostly dried but still wet side.

"I'm pretty sure that Brown canceled all the activities planned for tonight," I explained, "so I think that I'm just going to go hole myself in my room for the rest of the night."

"Thunderstorm?" asked Shane knowingly. I scowled at him, I forgot that I had told him as much when we went out, but I didn't need him to keep reminding me about my fear.

"Yeah," I admitted softly, "it's only going to get worse so I'm going to go to bed." I said my goodnights and walked towards the door. Shane and Ella's umbrella lying innocently beside the door, with a smirk I bent down and swiped the umbrella, it was the least Shane could do for almost ousting my phobia to everyone.

I walked to my cabin with a laugh on my lips and as dry as I could be.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry this is so late in coming, but I hope you enjoy it!**


	7. Nate's Terrible Night

**Chapter 7:** Nate's Terrible Night

"Nate?" called out Mitchie from the other side of the room. I sighed, and propped myself up on my elbows to gaze through the darkness towards Mitchie's bed. I thought that Mitchie would be asleep by now, as she had been in the room for the last 2 hours with nothing else to do.

"Yeah?" I acknowledged. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes as I watched Mitchie's outline crawl out from underneath her pile of blankets and clothes.

"Are you asleep?" asked Mitchie. I smiled despite myself at her innocent question but I was curious as to why she was still awake.

"No," I said with a long suffering sigh, "but why aren't you asleep?" At that exact moment a crack of lightening and clap of thunder sounded from what must have been only a few miles away across the darkened sky and illuminated our cabin. In those few brief moments I could clearly see Mitchie's terrified face and hear her startled '_eep!_' as she pulled a blanket over her head. I was slightly startled at the loud crashes so I couldn't fault her surprise.

"Can I tell you something?" asked Mitchie breathlessly as she peaked out from her blanket or I assumed as much, with the combination of the darkness and my own drooping eyelids I couldn't be sure, "but you have promise not to tell anyone."

"Alright, yeah I won't tell a soul," I agreed without any inhibition as I rolled my head around my shoulders to wake myself up. She was an expert at attracting my interest through her words and through her actions and this was something I could not miss. I swear I wasn't this nosy until Mitchie re-entered my life, an enigma wrapped in a mystery and all that. I watched as Mitchie's outline seemed to debate what she was going to say to me, her hands fiddling with part of the blanket that rested in her lap became clear with a stray flash of lightning.

"Alright, um… well, it's really embarrassing, like really, really embarrassing, and if it ever gets out I'll be mortified," said Mitchie as she began to ramble on. I listened with only half an ear as I began to drift off to sleep before a loud clap of thunder had Mitchie squeal in fright and me to sit all the way up with a start. I watched Mitchie flounder for words and decided now would be a good time to intervene.

"Mitchie, when I promised not to tell a soul, I meant it," I said in order to dissuade Mitchie from continuing her rant. It was nighttime and the sooner she got on with it the sooner I could get to sleep, "I won't tell anyone." I watched as Mitchie's outline came out from underneath the blankets she had thrown over her head earlier.

"Well the thing is… is that I-I'm," Mitchie paused to regain her nerve before mumbling, "I'm ah… I'm afraid of Thunderstorms."

"What was that, I didn't quite get that," I said grumpily, did Mitchie think I had supersonic hearing? If Mitchie was going to continue on like this, I might as well get to sleep now. But Mitchie seemed to regain her confidence as she took a deep breath.

"I'm terrified of storms," said Mitchie as last. I had been drifting off again but the sound of Mitchie's voice had me awake in no time. I only heard the tail end of what she was saying and had to draw my own conclusion, not that it was hard.

"That's nothing to be ashamed of," I said fighting back a yawn, "I don't understand why you're telling me this now though." I heard Mitchie snort at my statement that sounded like she was amused. Her outline was sitting up and she was turned so that her feet dangled off the edge of her bed and her back was facing the window.

"It's storming," she said slowly.

"I can see that," I snapped irritated that I still wasn't asleep and that Mitchie was only stating the obvious. Before she could say anything else another crack of thunder followed closely with a flash of lightening that had Mitchie on her feet. She hesitated for a moment before diving across the room and into my bed. I was so startled that I jumped and fell onto the ground landing in an undignified heap.

"Oh, Nate, I'm sorry!" whispered Mitchie even though she made no move to get off of my bed. In fact she did the exact opposite as she slipped underneath the blankets and snuggled into my pillow. Another bolt of lightning streaked outside and made Mitchie's caramel brown eyes glow. My breath froze in my chest, and I struggled to breathe, all due to my fall of course and her terrified eyes as she looked up towards the window above my bed. I scowled as I looked away from her, this wasn't the first time that Mitchie had been the cause to my breath being taken away, not that I have to explain myself to anyone.

"You don't seem too sorry," I grumbled as I stood up and with a defeated sigh got back into my crowded bed, expertly ignoring the excitement and hyper awareness that coursed through my veins at being so close to Mitchie.

"Sorry, I didn't hear you," said Mitchie as she turned on her side to look over at me all the while tucking her glacial feet underneath my warm legs. Mitchie sighed in bliss and I tried to fight the tingling sensation that had suddenly arrested my legs and turned them to mush, this wouldn't do at all.

"Forget it," I answered as rolled onto my back in order to get away from her darkened doe brown eyes that could search a person's soul, "now tell me, why is it that you are in my bed?"

"Well… it's just…" stuttered Mitchie as she rolled on to her back as well, "habit I suppose. When I was younger I'd go to my parent's room and sleep in their bed."

"I'm sure there has been plenty of storms were you weren't able to sneak into your parents room," I answered unpleasantly.

"Well, sure," agreed Mitchie as she turned slightly to look over at me even as I refused to make eye contact, "but even then I could sneak into my roommates room."

"So you've never been alone during a storm?" I asked truly curious as I abandoned my fight of avoiding her eyes and turned my head to look at her. Up close I could see more then Mitchie's outline as the occasional lightening would light up the room, and was rewarded with seeing her smiling face that was hidden with only an occasional flinch. Mitchie seemed more relaxed now, and she didn't seem to be visibly panicking from the lightening as much so maybe I could actually get a good night's sleep tonight. After all there was no way I could kick her out of my bed if it helped to alleviate so much of her tension from the storm.

"Not if I can help it," answered Mitchie as she propped herself on her elbow to get a better look at me, "Why are you all the way on the edge? If you need room I can move over for you." I hadn't even noticed that I had subconsciously been trying to get away from Mitchie and her touches and whispers by retreating to the edge of my twin sized bed.

"No, I'm good," I said, still not wanting to risk too much exposure to the girl. I might have solid resolve, but even I couldn't stop myself all the time especially if she decided that my legs were a personal feet heater again, I might have to strangle her.

"You're going to fall off the bed again," warned Mitchie as she made room for me despite my protests, "with the way your acting it's like you never shared a bed with a girl before."

"Wha… why…" I sputtered out. I glared hard at the girl hoping another burst of lightening would allow her to see my peeved face and killer glare. When the next bolt stuck I found that Mitchie was silently laughing at me, she didn't even have the nerve to look me in the face. But when the crack of thunder soon followed and Mitchie curled tightly in on herself, and I couldn't remember why I was so peeved at her when she looked so small so I scooted over, closer to the middle of the bed, in order to comfort her if only slightly. "Isn't there something to do to distract you from the storm?"

"Usually I'll listen to music, but no electricity," said Mitchie mournfully as she turned saddened eyes my way.

"Maybe we can find something else to distract you," I suggested without realizing what I might have inadvertently offered until it had left my mouth. I bit my lip as I looked over at her and hoped that Mitchie had taken my statement as something more innocent.

Mitchie showed no sign of hearing me as she looked around the shadowy room. She seemed to spot something as worthy as she tried to reach out for it by leaning on top of me. Again an odd tangle of butterflies and tingles jolted through my stomach quickly Mitchie settled herself safely off my person giving me no time to investigate this new occurrence.

"Great idea Nate," said Mitchie with a smile in her tone. I still wasn't sure what she had taken though.

"You're welcome?" I answered cautiously.

"Any suggestions?" asked Mitchie as she strummed her mystery object. I pouted when I heard the delicate chords of my favorite guitar ring out through the air.

"How'd you get my guitar?" I offered staring sourly at the ceiling. Mitchie's laugh sounded nice to my thunder filled ears, and my pout lost its intensity as a smile found my lips.

"It was right by your bed," Mitchie explained as her fingers glided over the strings and began a song without any prompting, "'sides this'll help me forget about the storm..."

"I thought that was why you wrestled me to the ground and took over my bed," I answered acting surly, although I was sure she knew I was pretending as I had suggested that she find something of the sort to do. Mitchie didn't answer as she continued her eerily familiar tune.

We stayed in silence as Mitchie continued to play her song. Normally I would have taken the opportunity to get back to sleep but the song had me thrown. I knew I had heard it somewhere but its melody was slower and it didn't seem like I heard a version that included a guitar. In a flash of clarity I finally overcame my sudden inability to place the song.

"I know this song!" I declared as the song reached a crescendo, "its Son Dre's new song, but I'm certain that the Record Company hasn't released it yet." Mitchie stopped playing abruptly as she turned towards me, guitar hugged close to her chest.

"How have you heard it already?" asked Mitchie, her tone sounded distrustful, and her posture was closed off.

"I'm friends with Son Dre and he asked me to help him produce the sound… but what does it matter how I heard it, how do_ you _know the song?" I interrogated bristling under her sudden accusation.

"I wrote it," said Mitchie as she turned her back to me, ending the discussion as she started to play a new song.

"_You _wrote 'Trainwreck'?" I said not ready to end the conversation just yet as I touched her shoulder and guided her back around, to face me. Mitchie had sealed her mouth and wouldn't answer, even the boom of thunder could not end her silence.

"Why are you so surprised?" asked Mitchie after what felt like hours in silence.

"I just didn't know that you were _that _good, Son Dre's always boasting about his songwriter," I answered with a smirk I was proud that I was friends with such an awesome lyricist and sad that Mitchie hadn't even tried to record the song herself. It was predicted to be another hit for Son Dre by the record company and critics.

"_His_ songwriter?" questioned Mitchie, "I've only ever written for the company, not an individual person."

"Yeah, but Dre always gets first pick from the company, he seems to only pick from one songwriter ever, if he needs one that is," I explained. Mitchie only gave a slight indication of hearing me before she began to lazily pluck out a song. We remained in a grave but almost comfortable silence. Soon I felt my eyes grow heavy and my mind became foggy and unfocused, with only the distant song of the guitar in the background the storm was drowned out and I was lulled into blank blackness.

The next morning I awoke to find Mitchie hugging _my _guitar to her chest while I had my arm draped on top of the side of the guitar as we faced each other. Is it terrible that I felt the slightest bit of envy at not being that guitar? But I pushed that thought away to the darkest corner of my brain, where all the other inappropriate thoughts were saved until nighttime where I could better assess them. Mitchie was still sound asleep and the warmth of the bed (and the closeness of Mitchie too) almost lured me back to sleep. Just as my eyes were drifting closed, Mitchie's were fluttering open.

In that moment of understanding, of waking with Mitchie by my side, I fully grasped the wrongness of it. Mitchie Torres, ex-girlfriend to my best friend, enigma incarnate, and all around mystery, was sleeping beside me, in the same bed, at camp with said best friend just through the other side of a measly wall. I sat up trying to act as though I wasn't as panicked as I was feeling. I had to fight not to look down at the girl, hoping that way she couldn't read the emotions projecting from my eyes. I was doing a rather successful job of it until I heard a crashing on the ground. I looked down and saw a dazzled eyed Mitchie staring confusedly at the ground where she now rested, during her tumble she had loosened her grip on the guitar and it laid peacefully on the bed next to me.

"Mitch, you okay?" I asked seconds away from laughter, a relief from my panicked thoughts, "How in the world did you end up on the ground?" I approached her sitting figure and bent down so that I was eye level with her.

"What happened to your shirt?" Mitchie asked instead as her blurry eyes looked down the expanse of my exposed chest as though it was a foreign concept I even had something underneath my shirt.

"Good, you're okay," I joked as I held out my hand for her to grasp so that I could lift her off the ground. Only moments after Mitchie was on her feet once again we could hear the plodding of hurried feet coming across the deck area that connected the two rooms of the duplex dash towards our side. Mitchie wasn't worried as she slowly retired to her side of the room to grab clothes for the day. I on the other hand rushed to find a shirt to look as innocent as possible, not that anything guilt-worthy had happened last night or this morning.

I had just found a shirt in time for Jason to crash through our screen door, nearly ripping it off its hinges. I winched when the door crashed into the wall and Mitchie gave a noise of surprise as she pivoted on her way to her side of the room to see the intruder.

"Finally!" said my excitable friend as he bounced on his toes as he walked into the room beaming at us, "It's almost noon, and you're finally up."

Mitchie and I both boggled at him as we both frantically searched for something to check the time. I swear if I missed my classes today because I over slept, I was going to kill someone even if all I wanted to do was go back to sleep with Mitchie right next to me. No that wasn't right… all I wanted was to not have Brown fire the two of us for over sleeping, I silently amended ignoring the part of me that whispered _liar_.

"Why didn't you come wake us up?" Mitchie asked as she rummaged around the pockets of her previous days shorts.

"I figured you were just going to sleep in on your Sunday, Caitlyn and Shane also forbid me from waking you two up," explained Jason as he took up my guitar from my bed and plopped down in its place.

"Well that was nice of them, but why are you over here now?" asked Mitchie as I glared down at the curly mop of my friend who was plucking out a tune on my guitar. I was relieved that no one had walked in on Mitchie and me earlier knowing how hard that would be to explain. Well it would be hard to make them believe the truth.

"I heard a thump, so I thought someone must be awake, and I'm bored," said Jason as he stopped playing to look up at Mitchie and me with a pout.

"What happened to everyone else?" I asked as I looked at my friend who was never alone, at least not if he could help it. I looked over at Mitchie and saw that she didn't look concerned as she went about collecting the things she needed to get ready for the day.

"I bet Brown has them doing some menial task for him," said Mitchie as she gave a shy smile to the two of us.

"Yeah, he got Caitlyn and Peggy to go shopping for him for some decorations for the Pajama Jam tonight," Jason explained. I hummed in acknowledgement and followed Mitchie's example and collected the clothes I would wear for the day.

"What about Shane and Ella then?" I asked as I looked out of the corner of my eye to see Mitchie holding up bathing suit top and seemed to judge it of its worth.

"They got a day pass from Brown and so they're spending the day away from camp," said Jason, "hey what are we going to do today?"

"We?" I asked while Mitchie looked over at us from her side of the room with a tentative smile.

"We can go canoeing," suggested Mitchie. Jason loved the idea and I smirked over at her, knowing her secret passion.

"Alright, let's go canoeing!" declared Jason as he shot up from his place on my bed to race towards our screen door impatient to get to the Canoe Shack and Rack. Mitchie called him back just in time to save our screen door from its untimely demise in the face of an eager Jason.

"You need to go put on your swim suit," said the girl in a mothering tone.

"But Mitchie…" whined Jason with a pout, Mitchie's only response was to shoo him back to his room to get ready.

"Are you joining us Nate?" asked Mitchie as she gathered the pieces of her bathing suit together. I nodded in agreement and located my swim trunks somewhere in the midst of my suitcases. In no time the three of us were suited up and ready to canoe, with a bouncing Jason and a giddy Mitchie.

We spent most of the day canoeing around the lake, well Mitchie and I did, Jason sat in the middle and threw pieces of bread out to the fishes and occasional goose floating nearby. I'll admit it was really fun especially when Jason leaned too far over the edge and ended up in the water dragging Mitchie down in the water after him. It got a little less fun when the two teamed up and flipped the canoe. At that point we had to paddle the over turned canoe all the way back to shore as we couldn't flip it back in the middle of the lake. Not that this seemed daunting to anyone but me as Jason and Mitchie started a splash fight on our return trip.

By the time we reached shore Caitlyn and Peggy where sitting on the beach watching us parade back towards them. They seemed to be having a jolly time laughing at our expense and eating a late lunch of sandwiches and freshly cut veggies. But the laughing swiftly stopped on their end as we incased them in our wet glory and nabbed their lunches, canoeing was hard work after all.

"Did you get all the decorations?" Mitchie asked from where she sat in the sand as she dipped a veggie into the container of dip that was situated on the cooler between the two's lawn chairs.

"Yup, anything that you could ever wish to have when decorating a stage into a spewing volcano," said Peggy taking a sip of her soda.

"Who's helping him set up?" I asked as I leaned back on my arms, trying to let the sun dry me off. Mitchie sat beside me but she had managed to remember to leave a towel on shore and was pleasantly warped up in that while I was developing goose bumps.

"Some of the other instructors, but if you want to join in on the fun I'm sure Brown wouldn't mind," teased Peggy as she smirked over at me. I made a face and out of the corner of my eye witnessed Mitchie do the same.

"I hope he doesn't intend to bring the Baby Grand on stage again," said Mitchie with terror in her eyes, "Last time it was a complete nightmare."

"No I'm certain he won't; there aren't any campers who require a piano for their performances," said Peggy, her eyes gained a faraway look before turning to Mitchie with a nostalgic smile, "Do you remember your first Pajama Jam?"

"Argh, it was terrible," said Mitchie as she wrinkled up her nose in a way that I found adorable.

"Ah, yeah, I wonder what ever happened to Tess, I haven't talked to her in years," said Peggy with a happy smile still on her lips. Mitchie didn't seem as curious or as angry as I thought she should have been at the mention of her once archenemy.

"She's left the music industry behind and started to direct some low budget Indie Films," said Mitchie with a shrug, at our accusing looks she explained further, "she lives near me and so I run into her at the store or at restaurants and we talk."

"Well good for her," said Peggy. Somewhere along the way Caitlyn and Jason had left their own little world to hear the end of our conversation.

"I was talking to Brown the other day, and apparently Brown asked Tess to come to camp for a few days to give a lecture on music in movies," said Caitlyn adding her own two cents. The rest of us were shocked but Mitchie seemed to expect as much as she sent an accusing glare in the direction of Brown's office.

"What's with the sour face, Mitch?" I asked as I nudged her leg with my foot and ignored the feel of touching her bare skin.

"Just thinking of conspiracies," evaded Mitchie in a tone that told me not to trifle with her at the moment.

Time passed quickly in a flurry of activity as Brown had come to enlist our help shortly after our lunch on the beach finished. In no time at all the Jam was set up and the campers excitedly entered the arena where the stage was set to the backdrop of Rock Lake. The rest of the stage was covered in red, gold, and orange streamers that all shot out of a 3 foot tall papier-mâché volcano in the corner of the stage with twinkling red lights spread through the whole area, bathing it in crimson. Thankfully Peggy's information was true meaning no Baby Grand's had to be ported up to the temporary stage.

All of the instructors took up seats in the back so that the campers would have the better view of the stage. Shane and Ella had managed to make it back in time for the jam and had settled down in the back with the rest of us. Shane and Ella grabbed a seat beside Mitchie, and both sent the girl a huge smile which Mitchie returned half heartedly. It seems that they enjoyed their day away from the campers.

The Jam went underway, and it was filled with the energy of one of our concerts while not as professional it was still just as fun. There was a wide variety of performances, from dance to singing to instrumental, all of which showcased campers varying abilities. It wasn't until Wesley's performance that I finally saw Mitchie perk up and actually pay attention. She wasn't the only one, Jason seemed to be paying extra attention to Wesley as the camper looked out into the crowd and locked on to another camper, but from where I sat I couldn't see who it was.

Jason leaned over Caitlyn and whispered something into Mitchie's ears that had her laughing. I watched their interaction curiously and caught a glimpse of Shane doing the same, looking just as confused as I felt. Caitlyn wasn't any help as she seemed to ignore whatever Jason said to Mitchie and kept on watching the Jam undisturbed. I don't think I'll ever understand Mitchie and Jason's relationship, the two acted as though they were best friends and known each other for years but I'm not above admitting I wish I had that sort of connection with someone else.

That night I had a hard time sleeping. I couldn't sleep because something felt amiss, and every time I opened my eyes to find what was missing I saw phantom images of a girl with long wavy brown hair that refused to turn around to face me. Just as soon as the image solidified and became clearer to the point I could name the person it disappeared in a blur of darkness with a blink of my eyes.

* * *

**A/N: The song 'Trainwreck' is actually sung by Demi Lovato, and as far as I know there is no singer named Son Dre, though I **_**do**_** like the name personally. **

**Also bad news guys this is going to be the last update for a while, I'll be off to college and I'll have to focus on that hopefully I'll be able to update again late December or early January! In the meantime feel free to keep reviewing, I'd still love to read what you think!**


	8. Jason's Master Plan

**Chapter 8:** Jason's Master Plan

Mitchie was different, anyone could see as much. At the beginning of the summer she had been reclusive and timid, but now she was… happy and confident. I watched a love struck Nate trail behind the girl with adoration shining in his eyes and I had a feeling I knew exactly why she was happier. Something though was stopping my best friend from acquiring his happiness.

If Nate didn't ask Mitchie out soon, I was going to have to do something dire.

"Jason? What are you doing?" asked Caitlyn from behind me. I turned around guiltily and looked directly into her eyes; I could never lie when I looked into those amber eyes.

"Scheming?" I said unsure. Caitlyn arched one of her perfectly shaped eyebrows, before patting my arm and lightly kissing my cheek, such a simple gesture was enough to send my heart fluttering.

"Just be careful, Jace," murmured Caitlyn as she laced her fingers in mine and tugged me off the deck of her cabin and towards the path that would lead us to where Mitchie and Nate waited. We met up with them at the flag pole in front of the cafeteria and cheerfully greeted them.

"Hey guys, what took you so long?" asked Mitchie as she beamed at our arrival. Caitlyn tugged harder on our latched hands and rushed the last few steps to the couple.

"I had to finish getting ready, and Jason waited for me," answered Caitlyn as she gestured to the side bag beside her.

"Aren't you guys pumped?" I bellowed joyfully, I had been looking forward to this day since we had signed up for it, "what better to do on a sunny Friday then hiking?"

"Yeah Jace, I can't wait," agreed Mitchie as she bounced on the balls of her feet, "We're just waiting for the slow poke campers to finish packing a lunch and getting water bottles, then we'll set out."

"Lunch?" I asked my eyebrows knitting together, I know neither Caitlyn nor I had packed anything and I hoped we didn't have to go the whole hike without a bite to eat.

"Mitchie and I packed yours, we didn't see you inside so we thought you were running behind," said Nate as he held out two brown lunch bags and Mitchie extended two iced bottles.

"Thanks guys! You just saved us, I don't think Jason could last without a lunch," joked Caitlyn as she took the proffered bags from Nate and put them into her side bag. I took the water bottles from Mitchie's hands with a jolly thanks and handed the extra to Caitlyn when her hands were free. The campers began to stream out of the dining hall with their bags filled and a water bottle somewhere easy to reach. Mitchie and Nate moved to stand next to us so we could all assess the eager campers, and take stock of how to best arrange them.

"Don't worry Jason, I packed your lunch and I added a few extra snacks," whispered Mitchie with a wink as she saddled up beside me. I sent her a grateful smile before turning back towards the group. Thirty-six campers had signed up for the hike while the other where staying behind would rather continue going to their classes (at least the ones that the chaperones weren't teaching). Once the last of the hikers trailed out we called them all to order and like a herd the campers separated into their own group before we began to explain the next two hours.

"Alright, now for before we begin to explain we need to take a head count," called out Caitlyn. The four of us walked around taking count of the hikers before congregating back in front of the flag pole, assuring the others we had the right number of campers in each group.

"Okay Campers listen up!" shouted Caitlyn who easily fell into the role of leader, "this is how the next two hours are going to go, and I'm only going to say this once, so pay attention! We're going to start hiking on this trail over here, it's the path marked with an orange flags," Caitlyn gestured behind her towards the path and its bright orange flags flapping in the wind, "If you get lost, look for a marker and _stay_ there, one of these lovely instructors or I will double back and look for you there. Also another thing, it's a hot day, so remember to keep hydrated. The trail we're hiking is about 3 miles long and circles Rock Lake. There's a small clearing about a mile and half away where we'll break for lunch, any questions?"

Upon answering the few questions that the students poised we set out on the orange flagged trail. Caitlyn naturally headed the drove of campers and I made sure to stay nearby, leaving Mitchie and Nate to tag along behind the hikers, making sure that the campers wouldn't lose their way. I did look back once or twice and noted that Nate never strayed more than a few steps from Mitchie's side.

Caitlyn set a grueling pace, one that not even my rock star legs could keep up with. At one point I lagged so far behind that I ended up walking beside both Nate and Mitchie.

"I wonder if this is why the others decided not to come along," I stated watching the backs of the slower hikers.

"It was pretty suspicious that even though both Brown _and_ Shane had been the one to organize the hike they both failed to sign up as chaperones," conceded Nate a slight smirk twitching at his lips.

"I think they just had better things to do," suggested Mitchie with an unconcerned shrug.

"You're probably right Mitchie, I bet I know why Shane stayed behind," I gossiped, "after all Ella wasn't planning on going, and you and I both know that Shane can't seem to function without her." Nate shot me a heated glare that upon traveled onto Mitchie softened into a chaste glance. I wonder what bug had bit him to make his usually sedated anger flare up?

"Trust me I know, poor boy can't even hold a conversation without slipping Ella's name into it when she isn't around," agreed Mitchie, "it's hard to believe they're still in their honeymoon stage after being married for 3 years."

"They're soul mates, I suppose, just like me and Caitlyn," I concluded, a smile tipping my lips as I looked over the path and towards were Caitlyn lead the group ahead. We walked another half a mile before we stopped for lunch and I found my way back to Caitlyn, leading Nate and Mitchie behind me. We agreed to do a quick head count, as we had been doing periodically throughout the hike before our group settled down on a fallen tree to eat.

"I've always loved hiking, don't you guys?" beamed Caitlyn as she looked over at our weary group as we all murmured are assent. I leaned over and pecked her cheek not even minding the salty taste it left on my lips from her sweat. With gusto we dug into our prepared lunch silently praising Mitchie for packing me extra snacks.

"Hey, what do you think they're doing over there?" asked Mitchie nodding her head towards the middle of the clearing were all the campers had gathered. The dancers danced, the instrumentalist made use of anything that made sound, and the singers harmonized. Dragging Caitlyn to her feet I lead her over to where the campers all crowded around in an improvised jam. Smiling over at her, I lead her through the motions of some hip hop dance; Caitlyn's laughter rang throughout the clearing as she followed showcasing her moves to the cheers of the campers. I watched as Mitchie sat down beside the singers shyly joining in and adding in her own flare. Out of my peripherals I overlooked Nate lead the drummers through a tune more suited to Caitlyn and my dance Nate was always the practical one, no matter the situation.

The jam broke up all too soon so we could make it back to camp in time for the later festivities. As we hiked the campers continued singing and joking around. The trees began to thin the closer we got to the camp, and I found myself looking back at Nate and Mitchie and I suspect Caitlyn caught on.

"Jason, why do you keep looking back? That scheme you mentioned earlier doesn't happen to involve bears does it?" whispered Caitlyn, as she followed my gaze behind us.

"No, but maybe I could add-" I began with a smile on my face as Caitlyn giggled.

"Please don't add bears to your plan," admonished Caitlyn with a smile.

"Alright, but only because you asked me," I agreed after only a moment of silent contemplation.

"What's this plan about anyway? I've been meaning to ask since this morning," questioned Caitlyn. I made sure to look around conspiratorially and spotted Mitchie and Nate making their way to our side.

"I'll tell you when I succeed," I hummed into her ear as the couple came closer, "hey you two!"

"The camp is just around the corner, do you want to stop the campers here, and close things now so they can get back to their cabins or wherever," suggested Mitchie and Nate immediately agreed with her.

"We're that close already?" I asked as I glanced up and surveyed our surroundings. Sure enough the trees had thinned and I could see the roofs of the cabins and buildings that made up the camp.

"Good idea Mitchie," smiled Caitlyn, "Campers! Gather around."

The rowdy campers assembled while we did one last head count and Caitlyn gave them the break down on the nights plan.; including, the plans for the bonfires and marshmallow roast that was going on after dinner, which I was _super _excited about. When we finally turned the corner the weary campers scattered, leaving the four of us behind. I had spent the majority of the hike finalizing my plan and most of the plan incorporated just playing it all by ear.

"Can you tell me now?" whispered Caitlyn slyly as I bent over to grab her quarter filled water bottle since mine had nothing left. Caitlyn held the bottle away even though it was still clearly in my reach I humored her. I smiled goofily back at her as nervousness clenched my stomach when I peeked over her shoulder to see Nate and Mitchie only a few feet away chatting about something.

"I haven't succeed yet, my dear," I murmured into her ear, distracting her enough to grab the water bottle out of her drifting hand and smiled sweetly in victory as I sipped it. Caitlyn scoffed affably and swatted me away when I tried to make up for my mischief with a peck on her lips.

"Jason, Caitlyn?" diffidently called out Mitchie, from where she stood only a few feet away.

"Yea, Mitch?" I answered as I turned my eyes away from Caitlyn's warm amber ones and towards the bashful girl. Caitlyn faced the others, and I couldn't stop from beaming as she raised an eyebrow and shot me a glance upon seeing the dreamy look in Nate's eyes now that Mitchie was facing away, his attention entirely focused on the woman before him. I loved the fact that even if I didn't tell her my every thought, she seemed to know it anyway.

"Hey Nate you okay there? You look a bit lost," teased Caitlyn and we watched as Nate seemed to snap out of his trance. I especially loved the fact that she was willing to play along with my half-baked plans.

"Huh? You say something, Cait?" asked Nate as he observed Caitlyn and my identical smiles. Mitchie glanced over her shoulder to see if Nate was okay, and after assuring herself that he was fine turned back around, her hands fiddling with her own partially filled water bottle.

"Anyway, Mitch, what were you going to say?" I asked, drawing the attention back to the brown haired woman.

"I jus-" Mitchie began before a frown marred her features as she looked somewhere over our shoulders and changed her statement, "Brown's coming this way."

The four of us shared a grimace.

* * *

Later that night we all sat around a small campfire. Campers and instructors alike were spread out among the multiple fire pits scattered throughout the clearing. After Brown had met us on the edge of the forest asking to be debriefed on the happenings of the hike, he had excused us and allowed us to have the rest of the day off, which we were all relieved for. Caitlyn and I hung out the rest of the day with Nate and Mitchie, the two of us periodically prodding Nate with subtle hints about liking Mitchie. He didn't take the bait, and gracefully ignored all of our teasing up until the point where Shane, Ella and Peggy joined us to go to the clearing that accommodated the bonfires.

I sat across from Nate, and silently contemplated his recent behavior. Nate had always been the quiet one of the group, but he was also the most daring, sometimes. Nate knew what he wanted, and nothing except his logic kept him from getting it. So I wondered what it was that kept him from asking Mitchie out, when it was so obvious that he really liked her. Even now Nate seemed to be leaning in closer to Mitchie as she laughed at something that Peggy had said. I wonder what was holding him back.

"Hey, Jace, you okay?" Mitchie asked as she stood up and relocated to sit beside Caitlyn. I noticed that Caitlyn expectantly glanced at Nate, while I made sure to pay attention to Mitchie even though I had to lean over Caitlyn's lap to see her.

"Yeah, just lost in thought," I answered with a charming smile, "hey Mitchie, what brings you over here?" Mitchie smiled back at me as she settled down and leaned against the fallen log that was positioned a safe distance from the fire. I chanced a look over at Nate, expecting to see some form of disappointment even though I only saw a flicker it was enough to solidify my hopes for the two.

"It was getting a little hot being so close to the fire," she admitted, "wow, look at the stars; I never get to see them anymore."

"Well, thanks Mitchie," I teased, "I mean us stars don't get to see you enough either." Mitchie laughed softly and shook her head as she looked over at me.

"That _is_ too bad," agreed Mitchie, "what are you going to do to make it up to me?" Mitchie raised an eyebrow at me.

"Hmm… how about you make us some s'mores?" asked Caitlyn, "I'm almost hundred percent sure that s'mores bring people together for all eternity."

"I think I've heard the same thing," approved Mitchie as she looked around the fire, looking for the materials to make the fireside treats, "it looks like we forgot to grab the marshmallows… and the graham crackers, and it also looks like we forgot the chocolate."

"Did we remember anything?" I wondered out loud as I surveyed the bonfire and noted that we had indeed misplaced all of the parts necessary for s'more making.

"We got the sticks," declared Caitlyn beside us, as she held the long metal forks with plastic handles out towards us.

"So that's what they're for?" I said as I appraised the forks prongs.

"Hey, babe, how about you and Nate go get the s'more things," suggested Caitlyn.

"But not Shane?" complained Nate, the beginnings of pout forming which I could only spot because I've known him for years and was witness to all his varying moods.

"I figured you be too distracted to realize that Shane and Ella both left around 10 o'clock to take a walk around the lake," Caitlyn commented as she snuck a smirk over towards me.

"Come on Nate, stop being a Debbie downer, the kitchens aren't that far away," I said as I stood up and walked around the fire to prop the reluctant Nate on his feet.

"Alright fine," said Nate as he shuffled his feet behind me while I led the way down a well worn earthen path. I walked with a slight skip in my step after all I had finally finalized one step to my master plan, confront him about it.

"Nice night, right?" I said already tired of the silence that incased us, although the chirping of the night birds and the croaking of nearby bull frogs sounded nice, almost like a lullaby.

"Yeah," grumbled Nate.

"Hmm," I agreed, and we continued in silence. We finally got to the kitchen and quickly found the ingredients while I agonized on just how to approach Nate about Mitchie. It came to me in flash of inspiration and I followed through, after all it was the only thing I had going for my master plan and it was just too good to abandon.

"Nate, can I ask you something?" I asked a little tentatively. Nate frowned but turned around from where we had stopped on the path that was half way back to the clearing.

"Yeah, buddy, what's up?" asked Nate patting me on the shoulder encouragingly.

"Do you have a girlfriend and aren't telling us?" I questioned, watching his face carefully incase his features betrayed him.

"Us?" repeated Nate, as he smirked in my direction, knowing that he was dodging the question.

"Yeah, you know, me, Caitlyn, Shane…" I trailed assuming he would eventually get the picture, "so you don't then?"

"No, Jason, I'm not about to replace you or Caitlyn or Shane with a girlfriend, so you don't have to worry about it," said Nate as he patted my back cordially.

"Why not?" I asked truly confused as I imagined Mitchie and Nate together knowing they could only make the other happy.

"Well- Wait, what?" inquired Nate as he gave his full attention to me for the first time that night.

"What's with the surprise?" I queried interested in where his shock was sprouting from.

"Usually Jason you're the one that likes to complain whenever me or Shane has a girlfriend because we aren't able to spend as much time with you," explained Nate in such a way that got me thinking. Fortunately the breaking of a twig under some forest creature's foot stirred me enough to continue questioning Nate.

"I wouldn't mind if it was Mitchie though," I said slyly, beaming because for once I expected to throw off Nate, who highly valued secrecy, "you like her don't you?"

"I don't know what you're talking about, Jason," calmly stated Nate, both eyebrows and lips turned down in a frown.

"Come on Nate, you don't expect me to believe that," I said while Nate seemed to be the picture of puzzlement.

"Jason, what are you talking about? I mean, I like Mitchie… but as a friend," answered Nate. The shuffling of feet had us searching the area but after surveying what little we could see in the dark we were assured that no one was around and continued our conversation.

"Nate, I know you better than anyone else, other then Shane," I amended seeing Nate about ready to protest and lowered my voice so only Nate could hear, "don't think that you're fooling anyone."

"Jason, come on really, I don't…" he began.

"There you guys are," called out a winded woman's voice, "I thought I heard voices out here, and I was worried you two had gotten lost."

"Oh, hey Mitchie, sorry if we worried you," I answered with a welcoming smile not realizing that she couldn't see it in the darkness.

"It's alright," lowly said Mitchie, "did you find everything?"

"Yup, we got it all right here, found it right away," I explained.

"Great, I'm ready for some s'mores," said Mitchie as she led the way back towards the fiery filled clearing. The rest of the way back to the clearing Mitchie and I chatted while Nate remained silent, his whole stance tense.

"Ah, Mitchie you found them, I was afraid that you had gotten lost trying to find those two," greeted Caitlyn as she stood up in front of the fire that she now sat around alone.

"What happened to Peggy and the other campers?" I asked seeing the clearing aglow with red hot embers showcasing the empty seats that had once been filled with boisterous campers and relaxing instructors.

"They didn't forget their supplies and have to send a team out to go collect it, especially not a _slow _team," joked Caitlyn as she lessened her blow by grazing my lips with a soft kiss.

"Sorry, I was scheming," I breathed into her ear so the other two could not overhear us.

"Are you going to tell me about it?" asked Caitlyn just as low and for the first time I let a defeated frown dampen my handsome features, maybe my plan wasn't the best. I chanced a look over to where Mitchie and Nate sat 5 feet apart, one on edge and the other unpredictably blue.

"I didn't succeed, but I'll tell you about it later," I murmured as I leaned over embraced her in a tight hug feeling as though I had just made things worse.

* * *

**A/N: I'm super sorry this is getting updated so late. I really did want to have it done earlier, but I kept getting distracted, and I couldn't seem to motivate myself to do it.**


	9. Caitlyn Produces

**Chapter 9:** Caitlyn Produces

I bit my lip while I tried to gather my thoughts and arguments together inside my head. I had been meaning to ask Mitchie a favor, and I didn't know how she would react, although I hoped it would be positive. I silently watched Mitchie scribble away in her music journal sitting alone, basking in the early evening sun in the canteen. It took almost 4 days after the thought had first entered my mind in order to get her alone in order for me to ask for her help. If I didn't say something soon I'm sure that someone would interrupt us, so with a deep, calming breath I began.

"Mitchie?" I asked tentatively. Mitchie looked up with a smile, and I relaxed remembering this was _Mitchie _I was talking too. The girl didn't have a mean bone in her body.

"What can I do for you Caitlyn?" asked Mitchie as she closed her journal and turned to face me.

"I was just wondering if I wouldn't mind helping me with something," I responded, "you see Jason and my anniversary is coming up and I was hoping you'd help me produce a few songs."

"Well, I'd love too," readily agreed Mitchie before a flash of doubt crossed her eyes, "but why do you need my help?"

"I've always made the best music when you helped me," I answered humbly, glad she was willing to help and hoping that bout of self-consciousness would disappear from her face. After all this favor would benefit her too, if my CD had somehow managed to stumble on the desk of the president of my producing company, or say… Jason's agent?

"Okay then, when do you want to start?" inquired Mitchie an excited grin spreading across her face. I felt only the beginning pinpricks of guilt, because this would help her achieve a dream she had given up, but why did it feel like I was abusing something?

"Tomorrow morning before breakfast?" I suggested, "I don't want Jason to suspect anything, so I was thinking we should only work on it when he isn't or can't be around."

"Sneaky Cait, but that works for me," agreed Mitchie with a smile and a wink as she led me towards where the others of our group had shown up outside the cafeteria. With that done, I felt as though I could breathe easier, well only slightly, I was feeling a little underhanded.

The rest of the day was spent in eager anticipation of tomorrow morning, because despite anything else this was _Mitchie_, my best friend I was working with. So when the time came I awoke extra early and arrived at the practice cabins with plenty of time to spare. I was surprised when after only waiting 5 minutes Mitchie had shown up, just as early as me.

"Couldn't wait either, huh?" I asked when she had gotten close enough to hear my whisper.

"Yeah," sheepishly said Mitchie as she bounded my way. Over her shoulder was the strap to her guitar and tucked under her arm was a brown, leather bound journal.

"Follow me, I got Brown's permission to use this cabin over there," I told her as I lead her to the furthest cabin from the camp surrounded in a grove of evergreens and oak trees.

"A cabin?" asked Mitchie incredulously.

"Is something wrong with that?" I asked apprehensively, hoping she wasn't changing her mind.

"It's just different, usually we go out by the lake, on those rocks away from everybody," said Mitchie with a shrug and a reassuring smile. I grinned as I recalled exactly which rocks she was talking about, maybe we could go there tomorrow. That had been our thing, and somehow when she suggested that it felt like all those years of miscommunication had never happened, and we where Caitlyn and Mitchie again.

"Oh yeah, I totally forgotten about that," I admitted as I held open the screen door for her to enter. Mitchie only laughed in response and settled down on one of the spare stools positioned haphazardly around the room.

"So, where do you want to start?" she asked positioning her journal on a music stand and turning her guitar around, her fingers stretching out in greeting across its strings.

"I was thinking… if you don't mind I mean…Um," I began nervously, Mitchie looked up encouragingly, "would you mind if we produced the music for that song you performed for the Teacher Jam, the one that you and Nate wrote the music for?"

"Well…" began Mitchie as she shyly looked up at me through her bangs. I hated that she felt the need to be shy around me, I thought we had gotten past this ages ago.

"It's just that Jason _really_ loved it, and I'm sure that he'd love to have a copy of it," I babbled interrupting her quickly before she shot down my suggestion. The fact Jason loved the song had been an understatement, the boy had been the first to jump to his feet to give her a standing ovation, and even afterwards he had continued to gush about it unceasingly. I smirked slightly upon seeing the blush rising in my friends face, I was glad to see I could read her like the back of my hand, it helped that she had always been the most humble girl I knew.

"Alright then, if Jason really likes it," agreed Mitchie after a few moments. I beamed at her and quickly took my place behind the equipment I had set up the other day. Once we had begun it was hard to keep track of time, but when we were finally able to pull ourselves away from the music it had been nearing the end of breakfast. We rushed over to the cafeteria in order to get some type of leftovers before we were required to start class.

"There you are Caitlyn!" cried Jason once he saw me enter the room just ahead of Mitchie, and when she finally pulled up beside me he clamored a greeting to her as well.

"Morning Jace," smiled Mitchie as she plopped down beside me at the table. I carefully noted that she was keeping a wide berth from Nate as she had been doing for at least a week now, since the night of the bonfires. I had to wonder what had happened between the two, they use to be as thick as thieves.

"What were you two doing? When I woke up this morning you were already out of bed," assessed Nate from beside Jason and at least three lengths away from Mitchie, and did I just see Nate frown?

"You know, just had to take care of a few things, Mitchie was helping me out," I answered as I watched Mitchie look down at her hands and didn't appear too eager to answer. I looked thoughtfully up at Jason, who I noted had been observing our two friends just as closely, something had caused a rift between the two and I wasn't just imagining things.

"Oh," hummed Nate with another frown as he looked over in Mitchie's direction, his eyebrows drawn down, analyzing the poor girl as though trying to find out what made her tick.

"_So_," said Shane speaking up for the first time since we had arrived in the canteen, "Mitchie have you figured out how to…"

I tuned out the small talk between Shane and Mitchie; apparently we weren't the only ones that noticed the awkwardness between the two. I hope that it wasn't Jason's unsuccessful plan that had brought about the rift, but I wasn't too sure it wasn't.

The next few mornings began with Mitchie and me meeting up just as early but instead of heading towards the cabin out of the way of the camp I lead the way to the outcropping of rocks we once used as our studio. Mitchie would bring her guitar and I would set up my equipment, and just as the camp would being to stir we'd stowaway the equipment in the closest cabin and Mitchie would simply throw the strap of her guitar over her shoulder before we headed off for breakfast.

Today was like all the others, the CD we were producing was nearly finished and would be completed within the next day or two; however, Mitchie appeared rather despondent this morning. I was just spinning the finishing touches on one portion of our latest sound and when I looked up to call Mitchie over I noticed the way she glazed over the water appearing lost in more than just her thoughts. So instead of calling her attention away, I scrambled over the rocks point pinnacles until I plopped down next to Mitchie who sat close to the water's edge, allowing the lapping water to loyally lick at her toes.

"Mitchie?" I began quietly so as not to startle her, of course this only served to make her jump and goose bumps emerge over the length of her exposed arms.

"Caitlyn, you scared me! When did you get so close?" asked Mitchie as she looked over at me with wide eyes. I observed my friend, and although I could still read her emotions I couldn't quite clue together the thoughts that caused them. I didn't like to admit that a few years could change somebody, but Mitchie had only grown more complex in the years I hadn't seen her. This of course had been another reason why I had asked for her help to produce this gift, I wanted to just hang out with Mitchie, get to know her about as well as I use too.

"Hey, Mitchie, are you okay? You look a bit forlorn," I questioned. The water was being to seep through my sneakers, so I carefully began to detangle them from my feet, I would not be a happy camper if I fell into the lake. After extracting my Converses and my socks I threw them up towards shore, and turned to Mitchie expectantly, she had yet to say anything.

"Forlorn?" she said at long last, with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

"Yeah, forlorn," I nodded and when she didn't look to eager to continue I put in my two cents, "it's just ever since the bonfires two weeks ago you haven't been yourself, not really. Nothing happened did it?" Mitchie opened her mouth but closed it again as she looked thoughtfully over the windy, white capped lake, this time I gave her time to think and waited for her answer.

"Nothing's wrong, it's just—" began Mitchie as she turned her head to look over at me before she gave another sigh and looked over at the lake, "the night of the bonfires; I might have overheard something is all."

"Overheard what, exactly?" and for a moment my heart stopped as I remembered Jason telling me about his failed 'master' plan. If Mitchie had overheard Nate's refusal and it was causing her to distance herself from him… I knew I shouldn't have insisted that Mitchie be the one to find them! Mitchie distracted me with a sigh as she turned her head to look towards me, and the look in her eyes nearly confirmed all my ill begotten panic.

"The night of the bonfires, after you sent me to find Jace and Nate, I was walking down the trail, there isn't any lights down the trail so they didn't see me, but I might have overheard something I know I wasn't suppose too," expounded Mitchie as she anxiously wrung her hands around the neck of her guitar, an old _twang_ coming from the accidently plucked strings. My heart was in my throat and I could already imagine telling Jason that his plan had failed in more than one way that night, he would be heartbroken.

"Who'd you overhear? If you don't mind me asking," I asked in a rush with as much calm as I could gather when it felt as though my stomach was doing flip flops and my throat suddenly felt dry.

"Well it was dark so I couldn't really see their faces, but I'm pretty sure they were counselors," answered Mitchie, and I felt a _whoosh_ of relief, so she would have been able to recognize Nate and Jason, in the dark of not. But even as the nerves left I could feel the beginnings of anger, who else then would have been talking about my best friend, and what could they have possibly said to make her want to distance herself from her roommate?

"What were they saying then?" I asked softly as I looked into Mitchie's dull eyes and I knew she was finding a way to nurse the hurt that whosever words had brought about. I gently placed a hand on her shoulder, to sooth her as much as myself. I had to remind myself that this was about Mitchie and comforting her, I hope she knew that I would always be there for her. I had always worried about the softhearted girl that became my best friend at Camp Rock even when I hadn't seen her in ages.

"I—you promise you won't get to angry?" she asked, I simply gave her an incredulous look, "don't give me that, Cait, I know you remember." I gave a short bark of laughter at that, because I knew she did, she had always been the best at reading me sometimes even better then Jason. My temper, I suppose, had always been infamous.

"Alright, Mitchie, I promise I won't get _too _angry, but if I find out who said it, all promises are off," I agreed with a rueful smile, because whatever these counselor's had said had been enough to hurt my friend's feelings and that was all I needed to know to promise revenge.

"I should have expected as much," sighed Mitchie was a slight smile that belied her frustration, "alright so I didn't hear the whole conversation but I heard pieces of it and they were talking about Nate and me…"

The gossip she overheard went like this. Mitchie an old girlfriend of Shane Gray had heard about his marriage to her old friend Ella and found that her one way ticket to the rich and famous life style had been taken away, so she must have something up her sleeve when she hadn't succeed in becoming famous herself. Everybody knew Mitchie had always been a bit of a gold digger, especially when she had been younger. Besides, wasn't it just a little suspicious that Mitchie happened to be reunited with her old friends Connect 3 the same summer Brown _finally _got them to agree to teaching for their old summer camp? Also how had she gotten Brown to agree to let her share a cabin with the only single member of the international multi-billion grossing band? They all knew how strict Brown was about keeping the genders apart even in his counselor's who would serve as a role models to the campers, I mean he didn't even let the married couples share a cabin.

"That's ridiculous!" I exclaimed once Mitchie had finished telling me all about it, "Brown trusts you and Nate! You didn't even know that they were going to be here this summer."

"The worst part is I don't think that they're the ones who said it," miserably stated Mitchie as she dipped her toes into the waves.

"What are you talking about? Of course they're the one who said it!" I cried, what didn't she understand about that?

"Well yes, what I mean is I don't think they're the ones that started the rumors, I think they must have heard them from somewhere else," clarified Mitchie with a despondent sigh. Suddenly all of Mitchie's standoffishness for the past two weeks became clear.

"Is that why you've been avoiding Nate lately?" I asked, allowing my insights to see the light of day, usually I would have kept these thoughts to myself, but really I just wanted answers. There must be a way to dispel these rumors from going around, didn't these people know they were hurting one of the most sensitive girl's feelings, and scaring her away from her oldest friends?

"Well yeah a little, but I also might have overheard Jason and Nate talking," mentioned Mitchie, "I'm not sure who they were talking about but…"

"But…what?" I asked curious to hear what she had to say. My heart had leapt at her mention of overhearing them as well, but it had calmed drastically upon hearing that she didn't know who they had been talking about, if only a little.

"Well from the sounds of it Jason's convinced that Nate really likes someone, and as far as I'm concerned Jason isn't wrong when it comes to feelings and his band mates," admitted Mitchie sheepishly, "I don't want whoever it is to get the wrong idea about us."

"What's the right idea then?" I asked as I observed Mitchie. I knew she meant everything she was saying, but that didn't hide the slight hesitation and hurt in her eyes.

"That we're roommates for Camp Rock, and… maybe even friends?" Mitchie didn't sound so sure about herself, and I had to make sure not to roll my eyes. Mitchie really was too sweet for her own good and apparently blind as a bat when it came to her own love life as well as her own emotions.

"Hey, don't write yourself off, just because Nate might have friends back home doesn't mean you should stop being his friend, that doesn't make any sense," I told her straight forwardly. I don't think she'd even believe me if I told her she had overheard Jason and Nate talking about _her_. It'd be even harder for her to even imagine that Nate might actually like her, despite her own admission that Jason was nearly always right when it came to these matters.

"I suppose but Caitlyn what about the rumors?" murmured Mitchie as she dropped her gaze downwards.

"It's just gossip, Mitchie!" I said exasperated, "the media once tried to promote the fact that I was really an illegal alien from Peru and had used witchcraft to con Jason into paying for my visa to come to America, rumors really aren't all that reliable." I was rewarded by finally getting Mitchie to crack a smile.

"Have you even been to Peru?" asked Mitchie as she looked towards me through her bangs.

"Once, to visit Jason and the boys when they were touring, I suppose that might be were the rumors started… that was the same week the media found out me and Jason were dating," I answered thoughtfully. It had been a good trip too, until the paparazzi showed up at the restaurant Jason and I had decided to go to on a date seeing as it had been the only day he had gotten off. We had even made sure to reserve the whole restaurant so something like that wouldn't happen.

"There's always a bit of truth to every rumor," added Mitchie with a frown.

"The only truth in that rumor about you is that you were reunited with me!" I answered cheerfully. I nudged her with my shoulder, hoping to at least get a grin, which Mitchie delivered in spades.

"What do we have here?" crowed a voice from behind us. The both of us jumped, Mitchie so much so that she actually tumbled into the water between the rocks we had stationed ourselves. Luckily it was really shallow, and so her guitar didn't even get a drop of water of it.

"Oh Mitchie, I'm sorry!" cried the same voice as he stumbled his way across the rocks to reach our side. I stood up quickly to try to help Mitchie up from the rocks, but before I could so much as offer my hand Nate was there and crouching to help Mitchie out of the water. Mitchie gently swatted his hands away.

"Don't worry, I'm okay," said Mitchie as she used the rock she had been sitting on earlier to prop herself up. Nate stood on the rocks to the left of us looking more than a little guilty.

"I didn't mean to scare you guys, I thought you heard me coming up," said Nate as he awkwardly shifted from foot to foot.

"How'd you find us anyway, Nate?" I asked as I helped steady Mitchie when she wobbled, I even managed to wrestle her guitar from around her neck, just in case.

"I came here looking for you guys, you missed breakfast and the others were getting worried, so they sent me to find you," explained Nate as he looked over at Mitchie with concern, "are you alright Mitchie, I really didn't mean to scare you into the lake."

"Do-Don-Don't worr-ee a-about it," shivered Mitchie as she tried to squeeze out the lake water from her hair. Nate eagerly took off the light weight sweater he was wearing and warped it around Mitchie's shoulders.

"So what have you two been doing out here?" asked Nate as he looked over towards where the soundboard was positioned on shore then over towards me where Mitchie's guitar rested behind my back.

"Oh, nothing," I answered when it appeared Mitchie wasn't too forthcoming as she melted into Nate's sweater. Nate actually scoffed as he nodded his head in the direction of my soundboard.

"What do you call that?" he asked with a smirk and one raised eyebrow. I gave him a cheesy smile as I looked over at the evidence that proved my guilt.

"I suppose we are doing _something_," I acknowledged.

"And just what would that be?" Nate asked again.

"We're make-ing a-a present for Ja-Jason," answered Mitchie as she finally slipped her arms through the sleeves of Nate's forest green sweater Nate had offered her and zipped it all the way up. I watched as Nate's face softened in the most sincere smile I had ever seen him sport. I suppose I would be pretty ecstatic too if the person I was desperately crushing on acknowledged my existence for the first time in weeks. It only lasted a moment before his face became neutral once again; I don't even think Mitchie had seen it by the time it was gone, too busy watching her feet.

"So this is where you disappear to every morning?" questioned Nate. He only had eyes for Mitchie and I could tell he was trying to judge Mitchie's mood by her response.

"Yeah," answered Mitchie as she looked up through her eyelashes.

"It's supposed to be a surprise Nate, so don't you dare tell him _any_thing, alright?" I warned. I figured Nate wouldn't say anything no matter what, but he still looked ready to playfully deny too.

"Please, Nate?" Mitchie asked as she finally looked Nate in the eyes. Nate closed his mouth and even though he didn't I'm sure he wanted to gulp.

"Alright, yeah, you know," Nate began with a teasing nudge in Mitchie's direction, "I'm great at keeping secrets, like the fact that you sleep walk during thunderstorms." Nate winked at Mitchie but I didn't understand why Mitchie's face would go so red at the mention of her sleep walking.

"Nate, you wouldn't!" cried Mitchie, and the relieved smile that crossed Nate's face was tugging on my lips as well. Mitchie appeared to be back, and I hoped she wouldn't try to go into self administrated solitary confinement. At least until she and Nate talked something's over first.

"Hey, Nate, since you're here, would you mind helping us pack up?" I asked as I picked my way across the rocks and towards shore. I looked back in time to see Nate nod his acceptance before he took hold of Mitchie's arm to help her across the rocks, never mind that Mitchie was probably more balanced then the rest of us when it came to mountaineering over the rocks.

With Nate's help we made quick work of breaking down our studio and so with little mishaps we made our way towards the heart of camp, the cafeteria.

"Gloria and Chet should have leftovers," explained Nate. Mitchie was leading the way towards camp leaving the two of us behind.

"Why would you know that?" asked Mitchie with a raised eyebrow in Nate's direction.

"They said they hadn't seen the two of you so they promised to keep some leftovers for when you guys got in," shrugged Nate without much concern. As well as I knew Nate, I bet he walked into the kitchen to demand that the chefs keep something in the back for when the two of us got back.

"Umm Hmm," agreed Mitchie just as speculative as I was, "I should really stop by the cabin first to change into dry clothes, and I'd hate to get sick while at camp."

"Good idea, how about Caitlyn and I met you in kitchen?" suggested Nate. Mitchie nodded her assent. She stopped momentarily until we caught up with her to take back the guitar slung over my shoulder, before she made her way across an opposing trail, with only a wave goodbye.

"So Nate is Jason and the others waiting for us back in the kitchen too?" I asked curiously.

"Yeah, they should be," nodded Nate. We fell into silence as we walked, although Nate would occasionally open his mouth as though about to say or ask something before he shook his head and closed his mouth. After about the third time I took pity on him.

"You're welcome by the way," I said and out of the corner of my eye I witnessed the startled look that crossed over Nate's face before he schooled it to appear neutral.

"About what?" he asked after only a pregnant pause. I smirked as I turned my head to assess him.

"I talked to Mitchie today, I don't think she'll be avoiding you _as _much now," I informed him. Although he didn't show it, I could tell he was relieved.

"Does this mean I'm invited to your and Mitchie's impromptu jam's every morning?" he asked jokingly.

"I'll have to confer with my subordinate, but the answer will probably be no," I answered bluntly because each morning was a time just for Mitchie and me to hang out.

"Yeah, I guess I understand where you're coming from," said Nate, and I knew that he did understand. He opened his mouth as though to continue the conversation but we had arrived at the cafeteria were the others rushed to greet us.

When Mitchie arrived fifteen minutes later she was sporting dry clothes and a forest green sweater.

* * *

**A/N: Whoa, finally finished that chapter! There's only a few more chapters left now, I just don't know when I'll have the time to update again.**


	10. Mitchie's Non Arch Nemesis Returns

**Chapter 10**: Mitchie's Non-Arch Nemesis Returns

"_Some men follow rainbows I am told, Some men search for silver, some for gold_," smoothly sang the deep timbre of Ray Charles as he awakened me several days after the completion of Caitlyn's present for Jason. It was the first time that I had been given the opportunity to sleep in after early morning classes and even earlier Instructor's meetings, but as Ray beckoned, it appeared this luxury was not to be.

"_Some men follow rainbows I am told, Some men search for silver, some for gold_," repeated the same chorus. With a groan I reached over towards my bedside table, and after a few misguided attempts I managed to grab my small red cell and tiredly jabbed the "_talk_" button.

"What?" I managed to greet around a yawn. On the other side of the line I heard a chuckle.

"Morning sunshine, I take it I woke you up?" declared the clearly amused voice that was unmistakably camp director, Brown Cessario.

"Yes, yes you did," I managed to grumble sleepily into the phone. He was to close a family friend to be anything but blunt with.

"Sorry 'bout that sweetheart," claimed Brown in a sincere voice, but as I said earlier he was to close a family friend for me not to notice that he was anything _but_ sincere. After a moments contemplation I decided he wouldn't know anyway and rolled my eyes.

"Did you—" I paused to stretch, "call me so early for a reason Brownie bear?" Now I was just being malicious.

"Hey! Only my wife can call me that!" cried Brown in mock outrage, and I groaned as I held the phone away from my ear.

"You're being way too loud for the morning, Brown," I reprimanded softly. Brown murmured an apology before he got to the point of this forsaken early morning call.

"Now as to why I'm calling, you see I need you to come to the office," suavely charmed Brown.

"Why so early in the morning? Can't it wait until a more decent hour, like… say noon?" I questioned in a whisper spotting movement out of my peripheral vision, I hope I hadn't been talking loud enough to wake Nate. He would not be pleased if I had, or at least I suspected he wouldn't be, he usually wasn't when Jason or Shane's morning conversations woke him.

"No time, I'll explain when you get here, so get here soon, alright?" said Brown, but he didn't wait long before he said, "alright, you really are a doll, Mitch, see you in 5."

"Brown, I didn't—" I began before Brown interrupted me again.

"Alright, Mitchie, 15 minutes then," bargained Brown, I heard a distant muttering that sounded oddly familiar coming from somewhere behind Brown before he began talking again, drowning out the female voice, "sorry Mitch, can't chat at the moment, just get to the office soon, 'kay?"

"Alright Brown, I don't see the—" I hadn't managed to get anymore out as Brown cut me off.

"Yeah, okay Mitchie, I gotta go now, bye love," was his hurried goodbye, but I heard a distinct noise, which sounded like papers crashing to the ground, and an apologetic voice murmuring _"Sorry" _in the background.

"See ya then Brown," I managed to get out but Brown seemed to be two steps ahead of me and was already walking away from the phone.

"Bye bye Mitchie," he said again and then there was blessed silence. I fought a large yawned as I clicked my own '_end'_ button and tucked the phone underneath my pillow as I stretched. After hanging up the phone I contemplated just going back to sleep but after much debate with my eyelids I eventually managed to raise myself from my ever messy bed. Prepared to have to face the world, and whatever additional things Brown would throw my way.

I hadn't bothered looking to see if Nate was still asleep—a little afraid I would find his angry glare directed my way if I did—but I didn't have time to rush towards the bathroom to get changed. There was only one thing I could be sure about this early in the morning and it was that I was not answering Brown's summons in only my short shorts and tank top.

I quickly rummaged through my things, trying to distinguish what was clean and what was dirty, after being at camp for a month and nearly a half, you can understand my troubles. Absentmindedly I tossed a few candy wrappers on my bed so I would remember to throw them away later, as it was I was a little strapped for time. I took a step back to observe the state of my things, trying to see if the action would bring anything to the forefront. With an exclamation of success I finally located some clean jean shorts and a semi clean tee.

Swiftly pulling the tee over my head, I had just gotten one foot through the leg hole in my shorts before a voice startled me.

"Mitchie? Why are you up? It's only 6:56 in the morning, go back to bed," came a moan from behind me. I turned slightly and made out the messy curls of my roommate before tripping over my tangled legs. I managed to catch my balance just before I fell; however, I cursed Nate all the same. Something about the boy seemed to turn me into a complete klutz. I usually only became so clumsy around someone I was crushing on, so you can understand my confusion as to why he left me continually tripping over myself...

Caitlyn was right, I really _was_ hopeless…

"I didn't mean to wake you Nate," I whispered feeling slightly guilty. He might have scared me half to death, but if there was one thing I had learned here at camp it was that my roommate adored his sleep, which I think I had now interrupted for the nth time this week alone.

"Where are you going so early in the morning anyway? Caitlyn told me you two were done with your clandestine early morning trysts," mumbled Nate, and just from his tone alone I could hear his eyebrows drawing together. I was still trying to wrestle my jean shorts on so it took me a moment to gather my thoughts to answer him.

"We are but I've been summoned to the office for some inexplicable reason the camp director failed to mention over the phone," I finally answered whilst zipping up my shorts with a sense of triumph. Nate must have felt I hadn't answered him quickly enough because when I looked over he was sitting up in his bed, his feet dangling over the edge.

"Mitchie are you alright over there?" Nate asked lightheartedly and I couldn't fight the blush that found its way to my face, I was just glad I wasn't pants-less still.

"Yeah, just had a little trouble with my shorts," I answered abashed, I swear I heard the usually stoic Nate snort in amusement. As I clambered to my knees to find my shoes, I was startled when the lights flashed on overhead, specks of black dotting my vision in the face of a brightness my eyes weren't accustomed too.

"Isn't this a bit easier?" asked Nate in that teasing tone he seemed to have mastered within the few weeks I had been steadily avoiding him, I wondered what other tricks he had learned. Suppose that girl he had waiting back home should thank me for loosing up her future boyfriend? I sighed, the thought was rather depressing; I hadn't realized I had become so masochistic.

"Yes I suppose," I agreed still trying to clear to my vision of floating flecks, "what are you doing?" I had found my shoes tucked underneath the discarded green sweater Nate had lent me the other week and just as I had gotten up to sit on the bed to tug them on I saw Nate pulling on a white tee over his own shirtless glory. I was sometimes envious of his shameless ability to sleep without a shirt on, especially on some of these muggy summer nights. Not that I didn't appreciate the view.

"I'm up now, I might as well play the gentleman my mother always hoped I'd become," said Nate as he tied his own laces as I struggled to get my own on my feet.

"I don't remember Brown asking me to bring a guard dog," I muttered with raised eyebrows in Nate's direction, who simply shrugged in reply.

"Suppose it was implied," answered Nate with an imperceptible smirk. I laughed in reply, it was rather hard to argue with him when he had set his mind on something, add to that the impossibly cute way such a small smile lit up his face.

"Suppose so," I finally acquiesced, focusing on putting on my sneakers and not grinning like a loon. Be that as it may it took three times before I was able to tie each shoe properly.

* * *

"Ah Mitchie there you are!" exclaimed Brown before looking askance in Nate's direction as he followed me through the Office's screen door, "and Nate?"

"I tried to lose him in the woods, but I guess he took some survival training recently and was able to track me down," I said as way of explanation, because Nate was persistent, and Brown knew that.

"Ah alright, excellent—" began Brown as he clapped his hands together but he didn't get much else out before he was interrupted.

"Mitchie Torres? Is that you?" cried an all too familiar voice; I hadn't been expecting to see her here. I mean I had heard rumors, but I thought she would have told me herself _before _I had left for Camp Rock.

"Hey Tess," I greeted before I had even turned to see her, a nervous smile tugging my lips, "I thought you were in Oregon shooting a film this summer?" Tess looked exactly the same as she had the last time I had seen her, her hair cut short in a bob, her clothes fashionable and expensive, but that smile she wore had an underlining deviousness too it, or was I just imagining it?

"I did, we've already wrapped up shooting, and I think I deserve a bit of a brake, don't you?" asked Tess, her smile genuine, and I let out a breath that I hadn't realized I was holding. "And who's this? Is that Nate Greene!"

"Hey Tess," answered Nate as he frowned over Tess' shoulder after she threw herself into his arms and latched onto him. I glanced towards Brown and smiled when he rolled his eyes.

"Brown!" cried the energetic girl as she leaned away from Nate, not entirely letting go of him, I could feel my eyebrows frown as I watched the interaction, "why didn't you tell me that Nate was going to be here!"

"I didn't know if it would be a deal breaker or not," answered Brown with a shrug.

"It isn't, besides just knowing Mitchie was going to be here was enough to convince me," agreed Tess as she shot me a smile, was it just me or did it seem a bit frayed at the edges? Before I could analyze it further she reeled Nate in for another hard hug, "but it's certainly a nice surprise!"

"Alright Tess, so you'll be sharing a cabin with Caitlyn while you're here, I've had a cot set up," informed Brown before adding under his breath, "not that Caitlyn sleeps in her cabin." The last was muttered and although Nate and Tess didn't seem to hear him I did. I shot him a curious glance, but Brown simply shook his head.

"Why can't I share a room with Mitchie?" asked Tess with a pout.

"Well, ah," stammered Brown as he looked towards me for help. Brown never had learned how to handle Tess, even in innocent situations like this.

"My cabin is going through a bit of reconstruction, I've actually been sharing a cabin myself," I answered with a nonchalant shrug, I knew she wouldn't be satisfied with just that, but she would have to wait for any further explanation, hopefully when Nate wasn't in the vicinity.

"Alright fine, Nate, how about you help me with my bags?" politely asked Tess, her eyes fluttering and turned flirtatious, "after all, why waste such a big strong man when he's standing there all cute and ready to help." This was very typical Tess, even though I was used to her flirting to get what she wanted, I had never approved of such activity- always being more shy myself- now was no exception.

"Yeah, okay, where are they?" asked Nate, not moved by Tess' behavior but unable to resist her request.

"They're just outside the office in the white Range Rover's trunk," said Tess as she held out the keys for Nate to take. Nate didn't need to be told twice before he rushed out of the Office not even increasing his speed, but as he passed by me he had a relieved look.

"Well, ah, if you ladies will excuse this old man, I've got some paperwork to file," said Brown as he too hurried from the room.

"Well, Mitchie it's just you and me now!" said Tess as she ran a hand through her long bangs, the collected woman I had grown used to seeing.

"Yeah," I agreed as I turned my full attention to Tess, "how come you didn't tell me you where coming to Camp Rock too?"

"I would have, babe, but Brown made it very clear that you were not to be told," said Tess as she tugged on the lapels of her fashionable jacket. I sighed, I had forgotten about Brown's attempt at a Camp Rock reunion, it hadn't seemed all that important lately.

"That sounds about right, he invited just about everyone from our old Camp Rock days, I think it's his idea of a surprise or a setup, I don't know I haven't asked him about it," I answered as I led the way to the porch of the Office where we both leaned against the railing watching Nate struggle with the mountains of luggage Tess had brought.

"That reminds me, I need to talk to you soon," she said, I gave her a meaningful look which she simply laughed off, "I mean when we have time to really sit down and catch up!"

"Alright, that sounds fine, but…" and I bit my lip, there was something decidedly off about Tess, especially the way she had been all over Nate in the office, "is everything alright?"

"Mitchie!" cried Tess her laughter strained, "now why wouldn't it be, you are talking to _the _Tess Tyler! Besides that, is it just me or has Nate gotten cuter?"

"If you say so," I said as I observed her. I saw quite a bit of Tess back in the city, in fact she insisted we met up at least once or twice a week, so I knew her well. Despite our rough beginnings she had become one of my best friends, and something was bugging her.

"Mitchie! Tess! I could use some help down here!" cried Nate from the maze of Tess' suitcases.

"Gosh Tess, what'd you pack for, an apocalypse?" I asked taking note of everything Tess had brought for her short stay.

"A girl never knows what she's going to need!" sang Tess as she skipped her way down the stairs and towards Nate.

* * *

"I can't believe I have to share a room with her," moaned Caitlyn as she rested her head in her hands later that day. I laughed at her immediate reaction; Tess had just left the lunch table, dragging Nate, Jason and Peggy with her in her own self appointed mission. I think there had been mention of moving something or another but I couldn't be certain, Tess always had something going on.

"She's not that bad, and even if she is, it's not like you don't sneak off to Jason and Shane's cabin every night anyways," I soothed and Caitlyn's shoulder's dropped.

"Yeah, that's right, I've still got Jason's cabin," Caitlyn seemed to visibly brighten at the prospect, before a frown marred her face again as she sullenly glared out the cafeteria's netted windows, "I don't like how much she's been flirting with Nate." I frowned, because I didn't like it either, but Nate had someone waiting for him back home, so it wasn't like either of us really stood a chance.

"Yeah I don't think her fiancé would like it much either," I agreed and Caitlyn choked on her own saliva.

"What?" exclaimed Caitlyn, her eyes wide alight with scandal.

"I mean she had a fiancé seven weeks ago, but they'd been going through a bit of a rough patch, so maybe she's just looking for a distraction," I was trying to reason this out as much to Caitlyn as I was to myself. It would be too bad if she and her fiancé did call it quits, I rather liked Harvey.

"That's no excuse to steal your man! Again!" cried Caitlyn, I could feel a burning blush lighting up my face as I looked around hoping beyond hope no one had overheard her. Was I really that obvious?

"Caitlyn!" I admonished, "I don't know what you're talking about no one is stealing any one! And Nate is not my man!"

"I'm sorry Mitch, but Tess just pushes my buttons! I know you say she's changed but she's yet to prove it to me! Next time I see her I'm going to give her a piece of my mind," promised Caitlyn, thankfully lowering her voice. Even then a blush seemed to have permanently stained my face, because it didn't seem close to cooling off. I was grateful when Caitlyn had decided to remain silent as she continued to noiselessly rage.

"Aw Cait, what'd you do to Mitchie! She looks like she's eaten a particularly spicy pepper," gently teased Jason as he dropped down next to Caitlyn, his hair and clothes damp with sweat, what in the world could Tess have made them do? The thought was an interesting one but didn't serve to distract me from my embarrassment for long.

"Yeah Cait, what'd you say to embarrass her so much?" asked Nate as he dropped down beside me, just as sweaty as Jason, and my face if possible turned redder. Caitlyn shot me an apologetic smile, I simply sunk deeper into my seat, putting as much distance between me and Nate as I could without being too obvious. Nate frowned and Jason grinned as they looked toward me expectantly.

"I'm afraid, fellas that you missed out, if you wanted to know you should have been here five minutes ago" said Caitlyn with a steady gaze that dared anyone to defy her. I couldn't prevent the small smile of pride when her stern look didn't waver even in the face of Jason's puppy dog eyes. I suppose I missed the secret smile she shot him that promised later at Tess' arrival, I should have expected as much.

"Why's everyone so tense?" asked Tess when she returned to the table a second later, Peggy only a few steps behind her.

"Apparently, you had to be there," said Nate, with that frown that promised he would figure it out.

"Well anyway, since we're all here, I've been meaning to ask, is there anyone that's willing to help me out with my lecture tomorrow?" Tess asked, an angelic innocence touching her face, it was too bad everyone knew it was a rouse.

"Sorry, can't, Brown already has me on set up duty," deadpanned Caitlyn as she locked her stanch amber eyes on Tess. Jason looked about ready to agree to help before Caitlyn elbowed him in the side.

"Sorry Tess, Caitlyn says I'm not allowed to, ow! Caitlyn!" cried Jason as he bent down to rub his shin. I blinked impressed, I hadn't even seen Caitlyn move, she sure was sneaky.

"I wish I could Tess, but I promised Shane and Ella I'd drive them to the city, apparently they both have meetings with their Record Companies and neither could get a hold of another driver or car," said Peggy with a look that said what-can-you-do?

"Come on Mitchie, please?" asked Tess, and my brain froze. A million and one thoughts raced through my brain but before I could grasp any useable train of thought it had already disappeared like sand through slotted fingers. I couldn't think of one possible excuse _or _lie to get out of this.

"Well, Tess I would but, I'm—I mean—I," I was tripping over my words worse than a newborn fawn did its feet and with each passing second Tess' smile was growing larger and more and more predatory.

"I promise you won't have to say a thing, just stand there and do what I tell you too," like a stalking mountain lion Tess went in for the kill. My mouth hung open, my lips moving but no sound left them, I had forgotten about the stage. Performing was one thing, but standing there and _not _singing? With a shuddering breathe I tried to regain some semblance of coherence, because at last I had come up with a viable excuse, stage fright.

"I—" I began as I looked up at the expectant faces in front of me and all I had to do to get out of this was to say _no_, but with like a horrifying out of body experience all I heard pass my lips was, "Alright… Tess I'll do it." There was something about submitting to the inevitable that just felt… awful.

"I'll help out too, Tess," said Nate, from beside me. My eyes snapped towards his surprised, Nate simply shrugged, "it's not like I have anything else going on, the whole Camp is going to Tess' lecture."

"Thanks guys!" cheered Tess with a maddening smile, as though she hadn't just sent Nate and me to our execution, "you're a real live saver!" The irony was stifling.

* * *

It was nighttime before Tess and I were finally able to find time away from the others in her and Caitlyn's cabin. Tess didn't appear nervous and if anything she seemed to be thrumming with well tuned excitement.

"What was it you needed to talk about? It's nothing terrible is it?" I asked, and I could feel fear grip my heart, the signs might have been positive but Tess' good moods were never reliable. She had once smiled when her co-producer had caught pneumonia and had to drop out of her first film leaving Tess to do all the work. She had made a joke at the time but she had been so stressed her hair had started to fall out; she said later it was like jumping in the deep end without knowing how to swim.

"Mitchie why does there always have to be something wrong!" laughed Tess as she waved off my concern, "in fact if anything it's the opposite of terrible, it's fantastic!"

"What do you mean?" I asked puzzled.

"I _mean _that the other day I received a phone call from Mr. Palmer, you remember him right? The president of my Mother's record company?" asked Tess, a grin nearly splitting her face. With dawning comprehension I forced out a rueful smile, sometimes I envied those with such connections.

"Congratulations Tess!" I said sincerely, "I didn't know you were trying to get back into the music industry!"

"No Mitchie, _I'm_ not, _you_ are!" cried Tess.

"Huh?" I elegantly asked, my eyebrows trying their hardest to meet in the middle as I looked up at Tess, "what do you mean?"

"Well, I mean I might of sent my Mother a copy of that old CD you had recorded forever ago, and she might have gotten the higher ups to give it a shot, anyway the president called _me _to get a hold of _you_!" Tess cried excitedly.

"But Tess, isn't that Label all the way in New York?" I asked my brain had yet to begin to wrap around what Tess was trying to tell me.

"Well yes, but Mitchie I don't think you understand," sighed Tess, as she ran a hand through her blonde hair, "they're going to give you a chance! You're going to be famous!"

"Tess, I hardly doubt I'm going to be famous, besides their only giving me a chance to see if I _stand_ a chance," I stressed. I'd been trying for so long, applying to multiple Labels, and some had even given me a _chance_ until a day or a week or a month later something came up and I just wasn't the right sound they were looking for or the world wasn't ready for my type of music or something else that always made me unsuitable. I'd received enough chances, what I wanted was for them to take a chance on _me_.

"Mitchie, don't you think you should at least try? Maybe no one in California is ready for you, but maybe someone in New York _is_," argued Tess a displeased frown sprouting along her lips at the fact I wasn't already jumping for joy or laying prostrate at her feet.

"But what if it isn't? What if I go all the way to New York, and they keep me around for a few months, but they drop me, because I'm not good enough?" and with a shudder I added, "what if I'm stranded in New York?" Tess actually laughed.

"I think a new place is just what you need, you've gotten about as much out of California as you're going to get," said Tess with a gentle smile as though she knew how much my heart clenched at the thought of moving so far away. "Even if it doesn't work out and you do give up on music as a career, New York might be just the place for you to find a new dream."

"Tess," I said interrupting because this was too much to take in and it was so much to think about, I just needed time, "I'll think about it alright?"

"As long as you when you think about it, consider New York a possible choice, Mother said the president was seriously impressed," pressed Tess and I smiled, because I didn't think I could ever think about New York as a possibility.

"Now Tess, how's Harvey?" I asked, desperate for a change in topic, anything to stop my heart from racing and calm the panicked adrenaline that was coursing through my veins.

"He's good, really good!" Tess smiled that heart melted smile that only the truly in love could pull off and I felt silly for being so worried when I saw Nate and Tess together, "we finally set a date too!" she giggled and my heart felt like it could beat regularly at least for the moment.

* * *

"Tess?" I croaked as I stared wide eyed at her, it was hard to breath and I was sure my heart had been replaced with a formula one engine roaring at full speed.

"Come on Mitchie, how else do you suppose you will inspire these young Campers to create a score to audibly illustrate this occurrence in movies?" Tess looked so innocent, but I had to wonder what Caitlyn had said to the woman to spark such an evil streak.

The exercise Tess was having the Camper's go through had seemed simple at first. Have Nate and me act out a wordless scene and have the Camper's, arranged into a group, make up music that would fit into the background and match the presumed mood of each scene. But this was a step too far, shouldn't Brown be stopping this?

I glanced around the clearing, hoping to spot Brown, on his way to the stage to stop this ridiculousness. I spotted him easily, he was at the very back of the crowd standing next to Caitlyn and Jason and all three looked like the cat had caught the canary. It didn't look like I'd be getting any help from that sector.

With difficulty I raked my eyes back to meet Nate's. His face was perfectly controlled even with his hands clenched, his jaw tight and his eyes locked on mine, wide and filled with horror.

I was going to have to kiss Nate Greene but shortly after I was going to kill Tess Tyler.

* * *

**A/N: Sorry it took so long for an update, it is sort of hard to write a summery story when you live in a Winter Wonderland. This is still pretty raw, I usually go over each chapter like four times before I update, but I figured I left you all waiting long enough so this only went through three edits. Anyway I hope you enjoyed!**


	11. Nate's Dilemma

**Chapter 11:** Nate's Dilemma

I was going to have to kiss Mitchie Torres but shortly after I was going to kill Tess Tyler. Mitchie looked about ready to faint, her face bright red.

In order to stop my hands from shaking I had to clench my fists tight. I had to fight to keep my face calm, and relaxed, any sudden movements and I was sure Mitchie would bolt, reminiscent to a terrified lamb I'd once seen Jace chase around the petting zoo.

Now was an extremely terrible time to be attracted to your roommate, especially when said roommate was likely to flee to another state and change her name if I made one wrong move.

Why would Tess put me in this position? I could choose to kiss Mitchie and risk the possibility of never seeing her again or I could choose to call it all off, and this is where the attraction becomes a problem, I didn't really want to call it off. This might be the only opportunity I had to risk kissing Mitchie Torres and have there be a slim chance she wouldn't run out of our lives again.

I tried to stand extremely still, my eyes trained on Mitchie's face, hoping to be given some sort of signal that would make it easier to call it off or go for it but she was doggedly avoiding any eye contact. It took a moment but I gleaned enough courage to look away from Mitchie long enough to glare at a widely smiling Tess.

Tess Tyler was a sadist.

That was my last thought before Mitchie's slender fingers caressed my heated face, and her lips clumsily met mine.

Now I had kissed a lot of girls in my time, just another perk of being a band member of the world renowned Connect 3, but none of them came to par with Mitchie's sweet innocent lips slanting over mine. She had caught me by surprise and before I could fathom how to respond, her cherry Chapstick lips had already left mine, leaving me dazed. I could barely make out the catcalls of the campers from the haze that had settled over my brain.

Mitchie Torres had just ruined me for any other girl. Surely no one should be able to accelerate my heart rate like this with only a chaste kiss?

"Sorry Nate," Mitchie whispered, a blush the color of sunburn dancing across her cheeks. I opened my mouth to reply before shutting it, what could I possibly say that wouldn't make her hate me forever?

"Don't worry about it," I finally managed to get out, I hope _that_ couldn't be misconceived. Mitchie simply smiled shyly and turned away quickly before I could properly gauge her reaction.

"Was that all the help you needed Tess?" asked Mitchie. I narrowed my eyes as I watched the grin that spread across the devil's face; it was very cat that caught the canary.

"Yes, thank-you so much Mitchie, you're a real life saver, you know that right?" answered Tess as she briefly pulled a surprised Mitchie into a hug. The look Tess sent me over Mitchie's shoulder was pure evil; of course any look she could have sent me this moment would be perceived the same way.

"Well… I… um… I'm going to go find the others," said Mitchie, the blush that dusted Mitchie's cheeks seemed to deepen, it only made her that much more attractive. I planted my feet, as Mitchie quickly began her way down the stairs away from this forsaken stage, "hey Nate, are you coming?"

"Oh yeah, I'll be right behind you Mitchie!" I called, allowing a smile to tug the corners of my lips when I noticed how anxious she appeared.

"Better hurry along Nate, you wouldn't want to let Mitchie slip through your fingers again," taunted Tess, I glanced back towards Mitchie but she had already disappeared into the crowd and I was grateful, I didn't want her to hear the rest of this conversation. Mitchie might have sworn that her friend had changed; I hadn't seen much of that maturity yet.

"Tess, I need to talk to you, after dinner," I said finally, once I was finally able to shake off some of my anger, she had to know just how terrible that idea had been, heck she probably knew Mitchie better than the rest of us at this point, she MUST know how terribly that could have gone. I wouldn't allow her meddling be the reason Mitchie decided to run away from us again, I don't think Jason could take it, heck Caitlyn and I probably couldn't either.

"Alright lover boy," shrugged Tess, a smirk still dancing on the corners of her lips and I clenched my jaw as I turned to walk the same path Mitchie had earlier, "besides I need to talk to you too."

I paused, glancing over my shoulder. Tess actually looked serious, this was not the face of the familiar teasing, flirtatious Tess, it was another beast entirely. My stomach dropped, this did not bode well.

* * *

"Nate, calm down," grumbled Shane as he reached over to swipe the roll from off my plate. I would have protested but I wasn't that hungry anyway, and my eyes were alternatively stuck on the clock above the door and on the back of Tess' head from where she sat facing Mitchie.

"What? What are you talking about?" I managed to ask after I was able to drag my eyes away from the clock and the back of Tess' head long enough.

"Please Nate, ever since dinner started you've been knocking that knee around, the others might not have noticed it but Jason and I have," explained Shane as he grinned over towards me. I made sure to school my face towards neutral as Jason looked over towards us from over Caitlyn and Peggy's head, a questioning look to Shane. Shane shook his head and Jason frowned before nodding back towards Shane.

"What makes you think I'm anxious about something?" I said, sending him a rebellious look, Shane just laughed.

"Really Nate?" laughed Shane, "I was there the night before our first concert and every concert after that; I think I know when you're nervous about something." I sighed in defeat, as I propped myself up with my elbows, allowing the palms of my hands to dig into my eyes.

"So what is it?" asked Jason as he moved to sit beside Shane. I sighed as I looked back towards the clock, how much longer would it be?

"Don't know, he hasn't said yet," shrugged Shane. When he noticed I wasn't paying attention he quickly kicked my leg underneath the table.

"Owe! Shane, was that really necessary?" I grouched, tucking my feet underneath my seat, away from his longer legs.

"Please, Nate, you've practically been wallowing since Tess' presentation," said Shane, Jason nodded solemnly, I've never seen Jason so quiet.

"I'm not wallowing," I defended, my eyes retreating from the two towards Tess' head.

"You aren't really going to kill Tess are you?" asked Jason, his eyes going wide as he followed my gaze to the back of Tess' head.

"What?" I hissed as I looked up towards Jason, "where on earth did you get that idea?"

"Well Mitchie said you stayed to talk to Tess about something after you helped her out, and earlier Caitlyn said you looked like you were ready to kill someone," explained Jason, his face serious, but his eyes had a playful gleam, no one other than us would have caught on to this playful side of Jace.

"Please Jace, do you really think wittle Naters would be able to do such a thing?" teased Shane as he reached over to grab my cheeks. He stopped upon spotting the heated glare in my eyes. I was surprised this was enough to stop him, usually it wasn't but I must have appeared a lot angrier than I thought I was projecting.

"I thought we had always agreed that out of the three of us Nate would be the one most likely to kill a man," acknowledged Jason, to lessen the tension in the air. We actually had had this conversation once, but we had been running on two hours of sleep for three days, so I don't think this conversation should have ever been brought up again.

"We had also agreed that Peeps should be the Nations only food source and that dogs looked funny when they walked on their hind legs," I grumbled. Jason seemed to have found this reminder hilarious.

"We had, hadn't we!" Jason crowed with delight.

"As you can see that conversation should never be brought up ever again," I said, hopefully the others would agree with me quickly and that could be the end of this conversation.

"I also remember you mentioning—" began Jason before Shane quickly covered his mouth.

"I think that is enough of that," Shane admitted, a slight red tinge to his cheeks, he must have remembered some of the subjects of our conversation, "this has nothing to do with why Nate seems to be nervous about something."

"Isn't it just because he just—" Jason was delicate enough to glance around before leaning towards me and whispering "_kissed_ Mitchie," before he allowed his volume to return to normal, "and now he still has to share the same room as her?"

I actually paled at this, I hadn't thought of that. I would now have to share the room with the girl I had just kissed. I was I mess, I mean who wouldn't have already made a contingency plan when they were secretly attracted to a girl that was both their roommate for the next two weeks and had the tendency to go off the grid should anything spook her. I was going to have to walk on egg shells from now on, if I wasn't careful… I shuddered I'd rather never think about what would happen if I wasn't careful.

"Jace, I think you broke him," said Shane, but his tone didn't match the smile that graced his face, in fact it was nearly a full out grin.

"What if I just spent the night in your cabin tonight?" I managed to ask.

"Please, and make Mitchie have to sleep in the cabin alone, what if there's another thunderstorm?" argued Shane. The likelihood of a thunderstorm was miniscule, but Shane was right about one thing I shouldn't leave Mitchie in the cabin alone, what if she thought I was avoiding her after that kiss? I don't think I could live with myself if she thought that.

"Fine, you're right, that was a dumb idea anyway," I murmured.

"That's what I thought, so what are you going to do?" asked Jason. That was the question wasn't it? The other two finally went quiet and I soon became lost in thought, what would I do?

After what felt like a life time Tess finally got up from the table, excusing herself from Mitchie and Ella, claiming to need to get some beauty sleep.

I waited a total of five minutes before I excused myself from the table as well, claiming I had a meeting with another instructor, and that wasn't a lie seeing as technically Tess was an instructor if only a temporary one. The others nodded their goodnights but Mitchie smiled politely and offered a distant goodbye while Jason and Shane sent me a significant look. They probably thought I was going off somewhere to sulk by myself.

I left the cafeteria and wandered the path, we hadn't really setup a meeting place, but she couldn't have gotten too far in five minutes. Sure enough not even ten feet away from entrance to the canteen Tess stood waiting for me, her arms folded over her chest as she leaned against a nearby picnic table.

"Took you long enough," Tess said, but the smile on her face made it hard to believe her harsh tone.

"I didn't want them to follow after us, they would have gotten curious if I had left right after you," I answered. Tess seemed to think this through before she nodded and straightened herself out.

"Let's go by the docks, its open enough that we'll be able to see someone coming if they try to interrupt," said Tess. I simply followed behind her not really finding the need to say anything more until we had arrived at our destination.

The docks were deserted, not that I was very surprised, it was dinnertime after all. The sun was just beginning to set, setting the lake and dock a glow in the sun's harsh yellow rays. We had to squint until we found refuge from the rays behind a cluster of pines off to the side of the docks.

Finally away from the sun and tucked away from the rest of the camp I turned towards Tess, but the words I felt I needed to say I couldn't seem to form into coherent sentences.

"Well then Nate, what was it _you _wanted to talk about?" mocked Tess as she swept her blond hair away from her forehead.

"I… That is to say, what did you think you were pulling today?!" I managed to force out. The words felt awkward and clumsy over my tongue.

"What could you possibly mean?" sighed Tess, as she disinterestedly looked up at the branches of the evergreens.

"Are you trying to make Mitchie leave us, again!" I managed to get out, I hadn't meant to say this, thinking these fears and voicing them were two totally different concepts.

"What do you mean?" asked Tess, her eyes snapping back to mine as she narrowed them.

"What you did today in your presentation, are you trying to push her so far over the edge that she'll run off again? Do you really not like us that much? Or are you just being cruel?" I asked through gritted teeth. There was no point in holding back what I really thought by now, not that I seemed to have that ability anyway, it was like word vomit all over place.

"Do you really think I would do that! Mitchie's my friend, you realize that don't you? My best friend actually, do you really think I'd be cruel enough to stop her from being happy for the first time in a long time?" Tess was angry. Her tone was even and her face was neutral but her eyes reminded me of a dragon, spewing rage, anger and hurt.

"Then why'd you do that! Why'd you make her kiss me?" I asked my voice rising before I was able to clamp down on the frustration inside of me that seemed to come bubbling to the surface, wanting to escape. Just _shut up!_ I willed in my mind, as I managed to take a deep breath.

"I didn't make her do anything! I suggested it, you both could have backed down at any point," admonished Tess.

"You really don't think these things through do you? Of course she would have, you're her friend! She would probably kiss Hitler if you asked her too!"

"Are you calling yourself Hitler, Nate?" Tess asked, a smirk dancing on the corners of her lips. I might as well be, I thought.

"Stop changing the subject Tess! That's not the point; the point is if you make her do things like that… if you force her into doing things like that one day she's going to bolt, without so much as a note."

"Are you speaking from personal experience with Mitchie or someone else Nate?"

"Mitchie! Of course! Last time was enough to actually make Jason depressed for days, and Shane reverted back to his old self for months, and, and…I haven't seen Caitlyn so happy in _years_ now that Mitchie's back! Do you really think I don't know what it's like to just one day have one of your best friends just disappear from your life without so much as a phone call! I've already lived through that once, I don't relish doing it again!"

"Please, you've all been fine without her, in fact you probably forgot all about her until you saw her at camp, didn't you?" Tess looked angry, her face wasn't neutral anymore, her lips turned into a sneer and her eyes narrowed as they continued to spit fireballs at me.

"You really don't think we tried! She changed her phone number, moved away. We tried everything; we never gave up on her."

"Then why didn't you just ask Brown, he didn't seem to have a problem finding her," said Tess calmly, she seemed to be able to rein in her anger, her eyes turned calculating as though she was trying to approach this problem from a new angle.

"We—I… I hadn't thought of that…" I finally had to admit. I hadn't even known that Brown and Mitchie had been that close, I hadn't even considered that the past employer of her mom would have any information.

"That's right you _hadn't_ thought, what if you forget to think again? What then?" asked Tess her tone turned dark and hateful as she looked down on me as if I wasn't any better than the scum on the bottom of her Jimmy Choo high heels. The worst part of this all? I was beginning to think I really wasn't.

"I won't let it happen again! I swear to you… I won't let that happen again," I whispered, more for my own sake then hers. How, how could I ever let this fantastic, hilarious, drop deep gorgeous girl out of my life again? She was… oh gosh Jason might have been right, maybe this _was_ more than attraction?

"You'd better Nate Greene, because so help me, if I hear from her that Connect 3 has dropped her…" Tess whispered furiously.

"Drop her?" I asked, and I could feel my heart constrict at the thought, "is that what she thinks happened last time?"

"As if, I don't think that girl has ever said something bad about someone else her entire life," waved off Tess, her eyes boring into mine, I almost wondered if she was trying to set me on fire, I wouldn't put it past her to try. "Besides in a few months, I don't really think it'll matter what you do, she'll be too busy in New York with my Mother's record company."

"Wait, wait Tess, back up there for a second," I said, because I was sure there was something significant in what she had just said, but I for some reason, my brain was choosing now to short circuit, and I seemed to have forgotten how to breath, temporarily of course. Or rather, I knew what she was saying, I just didn't want to hear it, "New York? Why would Mitchie go to New York, why can't she stay in California with—?"

"With you?" Tess scoffed, as she tilted her chin up and looked down at me through her nose, I was taller than her so this was quite a feat, "because California wasn't been doing her any favors, and she needs to get out of this rut she's made for herself. Coming to teach at Camp Rock is only her first step towards success and I'm not about to let her fall back into selling her lyrics to other artists when she should be the one singing them."

I was actually a little impressed by how much Tess cared for Mitchie. When Mitchie had said that they were friends, I hadn't thought it got to the point that Tess stopped thinking about herself and actually contemplated helping out her friend.

"So you're the one that set all this up, aren't you? Mitchie probably hasn't even agreed to move to New York yet," I stated, my mind whirling a hundred miles a minute, trying to come up with any scheme that kept Mitchie nearby.

"It's only a matter of time, it's not like every record label in California that rejected Mitchie before is about to reconsider," explained Tess. What did _that _mean?

"What are you talking about? Surely one of the local record labels would have picked her up, she is as talented as they come!" I exclaimed, because I had never before considered that Mitchie had tried to get into the music scene but had been rejected. I hadn't even thought it was possible to reject someone as well rounded as Mitchie, not while she had so many connections already in the music business. She had Connect 3, Peggy, Caitlin, even _Brown_ had some pull string that would have landed Mitchie a respectable label. What could have happened that made Mitchie unemployable to the Record Labels?

"Why don't you ask _Shane_? I'm sure he'll be able to give you some insight to Mitchie's unemployment stasis," Tess hissed, her voice low and tight, before she turned on her heel and stamped away, all the while muttering darkly to herself about the despicable _Shane Grey_. The hairs rose on the back of my neck, and a shiver ran down my spine at her implications. Perhaps Mitchie had had a reason to avoid us these past few years after all. I don't think I was going to like this inevitable confrontation with Shane at all.

* * *

**AN: So I've edited most of this chapter, but I was getting too antsy to just put it up! So if you find anything that needs correcting please feel free to tell me about it! **


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